The Longyearbyen track in Svalbard, Norway
Without airplanes, the inhabitants of the Norwegian city of Svalbard have no groceries. It is all of us to blame.
Science is already thinking of taking the next step to investigate the melting of ice from the Arctic. The lack of geological condition to visit space in expeditions, the region is being developed.
The Svalbard Airport Atrration Track is one of the first infrastructures to undergo climate change. The 2300 -meter long Longyearbyen track was built on a layer of permafrost. There was no problem – but there is.
Permafrost is a soil that remained frozen for at least two years, but today this floor is not as firm as it could seem. It is actually starting to melt.
“During the summer months, we have to meticulously check the track every day, because The soil can give in anytime. This is a challenge that we hope it gets worse over time, ”says Ragnhild Kommisrud, director of the airport, to.
Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago at the nordic point of the country. It has about 2 thousand inhabitantswhich may be about to lose contact with the rest of the world. Without connection with exterior, It is at stake for the arrival of groceries to the city.
This is because a boat can take up to 2 days from the continent to the island. In urgent cases, it has been necessary to send emergency generators after failures at the Electric Center. Without a plane that quickly transport whatever it is needed, Svalbard would be in a situation of this type Two days without electricity. A complete chaos.
Tourism is also concerned, because summer is the time of the year when there are more visitors. “Svalbard used to be a Radical Tourism Destinationintended for more adventurous travelers. It remains a niche, but we are becoming more common, ”says Ronny Brunvol, executive director of the tourist company Visit Svalbard.
The airport should have, this year or next, a new electrical center, exclusive to the airport and fed biogas, to reduce carbon emission. But there is still much to save this stunning community, isolated on an island where Aurora Boreal shines for several months of the year.
