Thaw and Ore: How Antarctic Ice Sheets and Mining Waste are Shaping our Climate Future

Warming of our planet leads to the melting of ice, even in areas as cold as Antarctica. But how fast is the Antarctic ice melting? And why should we even care here in the UK? In my talk I will take you on a journey south, to my favourite continent, Antarctica. This winter I co-led an ambitious expedition to a really remote place - 800 km away from any base station. Our team set up camp and lived in tents for six weeks. We embarked on a scientific mission to learn about Antarctica’s response to climate change. It was amazing. It was challenging. It was a journey worth sharing.

We all use batteries in our day-to-day lives from phones to laptops to remote-controlled toys, but we know so little. How do they work? What are they made from? Why do we use different batteries for different purposes? Lithium-ion, lead-acid, maybe even alkaline batteries you have heard of, but a battery made from dirt? Do not swap your batteries yet as we charge through at high rates from the theory of batteries to near depletion at the end with the generation of portable power from dirt. This may sound like an electric dream but by the end of our circuit, you will believe in the potential of dirt batteries with little resistance to the idea