We were lucky enough to be given the chance to stay at a hostel which is own by the world renown polar explorer, Ramon Hernando. Travellers from 10 different countries shared the place. Ramon is known for exploring the Arctic and the Antarctic by using a wind powered sled, which he designed himself. He designed his first wind-sled in the early 21st century, and from then on, it kept evolving. His latest design has 3 parts in it, a transparent tent in the front of the sled for the driver, a supply tent right behind it for equipments and resources, and another tent at the back for people to work and sleep in. He combines the old technology of the Inuit sled with the modern technology of incorporating wind energy. The design is so simple that not a lot of people are interested in it, commenting on it as if it’s not high-tech enough. He feels that using clean energy is the new era of exploration.
A combination of ancient and futuristic technologies is the new way to attain sustainability in this world. Our ancestors knew what they were doing when they first explored the planet. The difference is, their way was only sustainable in their era alone, when global population was not even half of the current status. With rising global population, we can’t simply follow the old ways and assume the planet will still be able to sustain them. I believe the current youth generation has the capability to innovate the old ways into a much a sustainable version for our world.
