Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 12/21/2007 - 17:28

Hi team!

This is Shiva from The School at Columbia. By the way the video conference was amazingly cool and eye-opening . Consequently, my first question pertains to technology. Here it is:

How would your station react to more extreme conditions than usual? in other words, what would your station do in an emergency that might block the station off for weeks or months on end? How would you combat both Antarctica's weather repuation and the remoteness of the station combined?

How have your individual perspectives and attitudes towards climate change, the annual ozone hole and other subjects of data you have and plan to collect in Antarctica changed by going to Antarctica?

Thank You

ShivaLaughing

7th Grade

The School At Columbia University

12-21-07

Elke Bergholz

Hi Shiva,thank you for your comment and questions. Yes, I found it also amazing that I could see you in New York!I am not certain what you mean by extream conditions. I assume you mean weather conditions. We are well equipped for bad weather. We have always enough food and fuel for 2 years, just in case of an emergency. During the summer right now, we have over houndred poeple as  part of the emergency team.  If something would happen other than bad weather, the team would respond to it right away. We have drills regularly where we reinact different emergency situations. In the winter, 65 people will remain at this station. The last plane will leave sometime in February. No plane will be able to come into the station again until late October because of the very low temperature. Once the temperature is below -50 F , a plane will not be able to land and leave again. The station will then be very self-efficient even in those extreme conditions. Satellites will still be able to connect to the station as they are doing now: for 6 hours at a time, changing every week by a half an hour. So, the station will be able to have email or video conferences. My individuel attitude towards climate changes and ozone depletion have become even more stronger because of my stay in Antarctica. I will remain an advocate for the environmental protection for the rest of my life.  Happy Holidays to you, Elke Bergholz