B.I.G. North Pole Expedition launches schools competition

Sponsored by Environment Journal and Air Quality News, early April a groundbreaking journey to the top of the world begins in a bid to measure black carbon levels and air quality. Teachers and students are encouraged to get involved. 

Led by famed author, speaker, and polar explorer Felicity Ashton MBE, the group will embark from Svalbard to Barneo, a base camp floating on the ice shelf, and from there ski 110KM to the Geographic North Pole. 

En route they will collect samples from the ice and snow, sending these back to research partner organisations. Analysis will reveal the quantity of black carbon particles present, which can directly speed up the melting process and pose a huge threat to the entire region. Understanding the extent to which burning fossil fuels elsewhere in the world impacts this remote area is invaluable in the race to slow the climate crisis. 

Air quality specialist Evotech is also sponsoring the mission, and is keen to bring schools across the UK along. The company has produced a range of resources, which can be downloaded for free below. These include animal fact cards, raising awareness of the species that call the Arctic home, alongside assets to take part in an art competition, and posters signposting to an online GPS tracking website, where anyone can follow the B.I.G. team’s progress as they head out into the great frozen wilderness of the north. 

‘I mean, if we can teach the youngest generation about air pollution, and about climate change, then they’re the best placed to make change,’ said John Lumb. Director of Evotech. ‘So we’ve made an art competition, fact cards about different species, and posters signposting people to the GPS tracker website where they can keep up to date with progress.’ 

Read a full interview with Lumb about the expedition and schools campaign here.

Download the B.I.G. North Pole animal fact cards here

Download the B.I.G. North Pole GPS tracking poster here

Download the B.I.G. North Pole art competition poster here

Download the B.I.G. North Pole art competition assets here

Find full details of the B.I.G. North Pole Expedition here

Image: B.I.G. North Pole Expedition