A group of intrepid Arctic adventurers are being sponsored by a renewable energy company in their attempt to become the first people to cross the infamous Northwest Passage in a rowboat; to highlight the severe impact of global warming on the polar ice cap.
Irish company, Mainstream Renewable Power is sponsoring the attempt in which Irishmen Paul Gleeson, Denis Barnett and Kevin Vallely, with Canadian Frank Wolf will need to row in continuous 24-hour shifts in order to cross the 3,000-kilometre Passage.
The gruelling journey is expected to take around three months and the group will set out in their customised 25-foot longboat, The Arctic Joule, on July 1st, when the frozen north is bathed in constant sunlight.
The attempt to cross the Passage by oar-power alone is only possible now due to widespread melting of sea ice on the route; melting attributed to climate change.
“It wasn’t long ago that the Northwest Passage was the sole domain of steel-hulled ice-breakers. We hope by making this traverse completely under human power in a row boat, without sail or motor, in a single season we will be able to demonstrate first-hand the profound affects climate change is having on our world,” said Paul Gleeson.
Mainstream Renewable Power CEO, Eddie O’Connor, said the expedition would also raise awareness of the fact that humanity could have all its electricity needs supplied by renewable sources and world leaders need to act now in order to keep carbon dioxide emissions from causing irreparable climate disaster.
“Mainstream is proud to sponsor this expedition because it draws attention to the disasters of global warming. The expedition can only happen because the polar ice caps are melting at an alarming rate. The melting of the permafrost and the release of methane hydrate is perhaps the biggest single calamity that mankind faces and it’s all down to human-induced global warming.”
The progress of the mission can be viewed here.
