The Challenge
Energizing Remote Communities & Restoring Earth's Northern Foundation
Issue 1: Energizing Remote Communities
Remote and/or Northern communities need reliable heating for their homes, but:
- Many communities are built “off-grid,” they are not connected to the main lines of power/supply of the country
- There is a necessary reliance on diesel generators for most energy – this leads to health, noise, and environmental problems
- Many existing diesel generators are beyond their design life, and require maintenance and updating
- It is extremely costly for people to pay for energy
- Having unreliable, expensive, and inefficient heating equipment in extreme cold climates poses significant health and comfort issues
Issue 2: Restoring Earth's Northern Foundation
Permafrost is melting across the world. We know this from historical measurements, present-day experiences, and scientific modelling of the future. This causes many issues to the local areas and beyond, such as:
- Sinking ground, thermokarsts
- Collapsing buildings & equipment – electricity shortage, fuel leaks, destruction of homes/necessary roads
- Methane & other toxic gas leaking
- Ancient viruses
- Flooding
- Contributes to a negative feedback loop that further speeds up the warming of the earth and causes extreme weather events across the world