After successfully removing 1,500 tons of waste from the shores of Antarctica, Robert Swan stood at the Bellingshausen Russian Base and envisioned an education base that would allow him to share the beauty of this continent with students and leaders around the world.
Since 2003, Robert Swan and the 2041 team have taken over 200 people from 25 nations to Antarctica, on his renowned Inspire Antarctic Expeditions. Each year the visiting teams contributed to the design and construction of what would become the E-Base, Robert Swan’s education base overlooking the cleared beach on King George Island, Antarctica.
The E-Base serves as a symbolic model for educational, environmental and energy issues throughout the world. Its purpose is to inspire a global audience to tackle the issue of climate change, by showing that when we achieve the seemingly impossible in Antarctica, we can all take small, achievable steps in our own backyards.
The E-Base Goes Live
During the ‘E-Base Goes Live’ project in March 2008, Robert and his small team lived at the E-Base for two weeks, relying completely on renewable energy. Using the latest in satellite, internet and digital media technologies, he shared his message on renewable energy and climate change with an international audience.
Throughout the project, live text and video conference links with schools and organizations allowed Robert to showcase alternative energy sources in one of the harshest environments on the planet.
E-Base Live 365
Following the success of the ‘E-Base Goes Live’ project in 2008, the 2041 team will install the latest in renewable energy technology at the E-Base during the 2009 season. With the support and vision of nPower, a UK-based utilities company, the E-Base is will now run entirely off renewable energy, 365 days a year.
The E-Base will broadcast a year-round educational message about climate change to schools and organizations around the world. By showcasing the Antarctic’s unique beauty and proving that sustainability is possible every day of the year in the harshest environment on earth, ‘E-Base Live 365’ will serve as an inspiration to a global audience.