An innovative new “floating igloo” concept can help to protect endangered penguins and slow the melting of polar ice in Antarctica, according to the architect who dreamed up the design.
The igloo structure is split into two parts, one of which is under water and the above. The “upper structures provide penguins with man-made habitats for breeding, along with enough space for a waddle to keep eggs warm”, the Daily Mail reports.
“The lower igloo features crater-like holes that mimic a sea sponge and is connected to a submerged swinging pendulum.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
As waves move this pendulum, it produces electricity to cool the surrounding ice and help prevent the melting of the frozen sheets on which penguins live and breed.
The concept, called the Penguin Protection System, is the brainchild of Iranian architect Sajjad Navidi. In a post on his Instagram page, he writes: “This system is independent in nature and, when needed, smartly separates and moves towards [the penguins] by identifying melting ice areas.”
If funding can be secured for a mass rollout of the igloos, Navidi’s system could help save emperor penguins from extinction. A 2019 study by the Massachusetts- based Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) found that a warming climate could see the species wiped out within decades.
“If global climate keeps warming at the current rate, we expect emperor penguins in Antarctica to experience an 86% decline by the year 2100,” said seabird ecologist Stephanie Jenouvrier, who led the study. “At that point, it is very unlikely for them to bounce back.”
According to the Financial Times, “the struggle of Antarctica’s animals to adapt to global warming holds lessons for us all”.
Antarctica is home to 70% of the world’s fresh water, and 90% of its ice - and if the continent melted completely, global sea levels could rise by 60 metres.
-
Why does Trump keep interfering in the NYC mayoral race?Today's Big Question The president has seemingly taken an outsized interest in his hometown elections, but are his efforts to block Zohran Mamdani about political expediency or something deeper?
-
The pros and cons of banning cellphones in classroomsPros and cons The devices could be major distractions
-
Art review: Lorna Simpson: Source NotesFeature Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, through Nov. 2
-
Earth's seasons are out of whackUnder the radar The seasons' unfixed nature in different regions of the planet may have impacted biodiversity and evolution
-
When does autumn begin?The Explainer The UK is experiencing a 'false autumn', as climate change shifts seasonal weather patterns
-
How 'freakosystems' are becoming the normThe explainer Ecosystems are changing permanently
-
Cloudbursts: what are the 'rain bombs' hitting India and Pakistan?The Explainer The sudden and intense weather event is almost impossible to forecast and often leads to deadly flash-flooding and landslides
-
What do heatwaves mean for Scandinavia?Under the Radar A record-breaking run of sweltering days and tropical nights is changing the way people – and animals – live in typically cool Nordic countries
-
Blue whales have gone silent and it's posing troubling questionsUnder the radar Warming oceans are the answer
-
Acid rain is back: the sequel nobody wantedUnder The Radar A 'forever chemical' in rainwater is reviving a largely forgotten environmental issue
-
Why is the world so divided over plastics?Today's Big Question UN negotiations on first global plastic treaty are at stake, as fossil fuel companies, petrostates and plastic industry work to resist a legal cap on production
