How many trees does it take to build an igloo?
The igloo is the ultimate zero carbon housing. It therefore needs no trees to counterbalance its carbon footprint. Nicola intends to examine the thermal properties of an igloo and calculate its effectiveness and efficiency. She will compare this directly to the tents used on the expedition and other structures back in the UK. Her studies will include measuring direct heat loss from the shelter, the calories required to build it and the effect it has on our bodies when surviving in it. Can we justify the carbon footprint of a shelter when we examine its effectiveness and efficiency? Can we counterbalance the impacts of using it? Keeping the ice warm with a black carbon blanket! On a hot sunny day black surfaces absorb more of the suns radiation than white. It is therefore sensible to ensure that black surfaces are limited on the ice caps as it might increase melting. Nicola is going to examine whether we are increasing black surfaces on the Greenland ice cap by measuring whether there h
