Could YOU live inside a ball on an ICEBERG for a year? Explorer to make metal sphere his home as the ground beneath him melts
comments
An explorer who plans to spend a year living inside a ball-shaped capsule on top of an iceberg is seeking funding for his daring project.
Italian Alex Bellini is to be subjected to the full force of the iceberg as it melts, cracks and even flips - while hopefully staying safe inside his small spherical cabin.
The aim of the cabin fever-inducing stunt is to highlight how global warming will melt icebergs around the world and cause sea levels to rise.
Scroll down for video
Italian Alex Bellini will live atop an iceberg in Greenland starting next year. He will live inside a contained ball (artist's illustration shown), with no means to escape for 12 months. The capsule will be 10ft (three metres) wide and could fit 10 people - but Mr Bellini will remove all of the seats apart from one, for himself
Mr Bellini, 36, is seeking funding for his project, called Adrift, which he hopes to begin in November 2016.
Previous feats by the explorer include running more than 14,000 miles (22,500km), rowing more than 21,000 miles (34,000km) and spending 560 days in isolation.
He has rowed both the Atlantic and Pacific and insists he favours challenges where there is a perceived lack of control.
Share this article
But his latest venture represents a whole new challenge as he will have to deal with intense isolation and undergo serious psychological tests as he copes with being alone for 12 months.
Perched on top of an iceberg in North West Greenland, he will be alone and unable to leave the capsule, leaving him vulnerable to whatever is in store - on the iceberg, or in his cabin.
Comparable feats of endurance, such as the Solar Impulse mission, have also seen people remain in isolation for days, but Mr Bellini will have to cope for a whole 365 by himself.
In addition to his mental health, he'll also workout on board to stay in good physical shape.
A natural lighting system will maintain his circadian rhythm, while he'll be writing to keep himself entertained - in addition to reading books on psychology.
His goal is to see an iceberg 'in the last phase of its long life,' observing the changes that occur as it melts into the ocean.
'This adventure is about waiting for something to happen,' Mr Bellini told Outside Online. 'But I knew since the beginning I needed to minimise the risk.
'An iceberg can flip over, and those events can be catastrophic.'
His mobile home will be designed by aeronautical engineer Julian Sharpe, founder of Survival Capsule, whose creations were originally intended to be used in disaster zones such as areas vulnerable to tsunamis.
But the indestructible and lightweight design appealed to Mr Bellini, and he now plans to use one for his own project.
The capsule is also buoyant, so if he somehow finds himself in the sea, he will be able to float until he is rescued.
Mr Bellini (pictured left), 36, is currently seeking funding for his project, called Adrift , which he hopes to begin in November 2016 near Greenland (right). His goal is to see an iceberg 'in the last phase of its long life,' observing the changes that occur as it melts into the ocean
One of the most intriguing features of the capsule is that the entire interior can be mounted on roller balls and rotate, even if the exterior is tossed and turned.
On an iceberg, this might prove vital.
As an iceberg melts, its centre of mass can change dramatically until, in a matter of seconds, the whole thing flips over.
Mr Bellini's plan is to place his capsule on top of an iceberg and stay there but, if the iceberg were to flip, he could quite suddenly find his capsule thrown into the air.
If the interior was on roller balls, though, this could alleviate some of the sudden movements.
He also plans to use sensors to detect tremors in the iceberg, suggesting it might be about to flip, so he can get himself into a safe bracing position.
As an iceberg melts, its centre of mass can change dramatically (stock image shown) until, in a matter of seconds, the whole thing flips over. Mr Bellini's plan is to place his capsule on top of an iceberg and stay there but, if the iceberg were to flip, he could quite suddenly find his capsule thrown into the air
The interior of the capsule may be placed on roller balls to alleviate some of the sudden movements if the iceberg flips, but Mr Bellini also plans to use sensors to detect tremors in the iceberg, suggesting it might be about to flip, so he can get himself into a safe bracing position
And as it melts, it's also possible the capsule could fall down a crack, or find itself encased under thousands of tons of ice.
In case he does become stuck somewhere, Mr Bellini will have a beacon on board so rescuers can locate him, while the capsule will also be equipped with Wi-Fi, a wind generator and solar panels.
Despite the hardships, Mr Bellini feels there is an important goal - bringing the issues of global warming and climate change to people's attention.
'Adrift has the purpose of raising awareness and bringing contribution to the long discussed global warming and climate change theories, inspire students all over the world with educational programmes and inspire to live more sustainably,' he said on his website.
Shown is a timeline of when Mr Bellini plans to begin the adventure, in November 2016. 'Adrift has the purpose of raising awarness and bringing contribution to the long discussed global warming and climate change theories,' he said on his website
Put the internet to work for you.
0 comments:
Post a Comment