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Visiting Scott Base
The Andrill project is gathering valuable environmental information
about our climate history.
Stepping on to the pristine landscape of Antarctica’s McMurdo airfield late last year was a dream come true for Ministry for the Environment manager Paul Irving.
Irving flew to the ‘ice’ to participate in Antarctica New Zealand’s audit of events and activities they support from Scott Base. All of these are carried out under strict guidelines imposed by the Antarctica (Environmental Protection) Act.
“You wake up in the morning at Scott Base and there is Erebus above you. It’s just glorious,” Irving said. “Everything is white but you quickly learn there are many shades of white.”
Antarctica’s reputation as a scenic and scientific wonder and its unique wildlife means the number of people wanting to visit the ice is burgeoning.
That puts great pressure on a fragile environment, including wildlife such as the adelie penguin colonies, and man-made features. The hut and belongings left behind by Ernest Shackleton’s 1907 expedition have survived remarkably well in the dry atmosphere and under the care of the Antarctic Heritage Trust. But “you are constantly aware that they need careful management to prevent them being loved to death by the humidity from ever larger numbers of tourists entering the huts,” said Irving.
Irving accompanied Antarctica New Zealand’s Jana Newman during her environmental audit of events sites, including the international Andrill project.
Scientists from New Zealand, USA, Germany and Italy have drilled more than 2km through ice, water, ash and glacial sediment to reveal the Ross Sea’s last six million years of climate history.
The drill is an engineering masterpiece, according to Irving. He was impressed by the overall lack of impact on the surrounding environment. “It didn’t look like a drill site. Their systems for managing fuel, hydraulic oils and drilling fluids are second to none,” he said.
The Andrill project is providing priceless knowledge about Antarctica, one of Earth’s most important ocean current and climate engines.
The iconic green buildings of
New Zealand's Scott Base.
One of Irving’s main tasks during the visit was to help Antarctica New Zealand develop its assessment of a proposed wind farm for Scott Base. As New Zealand and USA cooperate on energy management issues, the proposal could ultimately result in more than 20 turbines supplying power to both bases.
The wind farm would halve New Zealand’s reliance on diesel for power and heat – a major step towards making New Zealand’s activities on the ice more sustainable.
The Ministry for the Environment is now preparing a report for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and for Antarctica New Zealand, including advice about the wind farm and suggestions for improving the environmental permitting process.
Scott Base is a hands-on place and, like all visitors, Irving helped out in the kitchens, peeling vegetables and washing dishes. He was impressed with the base recycling schemes – food scraps, glass, metal, plastic and paper all come back to New Zealand.
He said most countries with bases on the ice have similar or better environmental standards. New bases are designed to have a low environmental footprint with low energy consumption and minimal waste output.
For more information contact Paul Irving on (04) 439 1939 or email paul.irving@mfe.govt.nz
