In the latest incarnation of mankind’s fascination with racing things, whether it be Jaffas down Baldwin Street in Dunedin or massive trucks around circuits, the woke climate warriors have got into the act.
Extreme E – Formula E’s sister series – aims to highlight climate change in five remote locations as 12 cars go head-to-head in electric SUVs.
“Racing in incredible locations, raising awareness for climate change… what’s not to love,” said Chadwick.
Well, that is certainly going to save the planet!
Extreme E is an “environmentally focused racing series” and it has secured its first location at the Russell Glacier, in south-west Greenland, starting in February 2021. Drivers will race head-to-head over three days in each one of five locations, with routes designed within a 10km radius with natural obstacles in fully electric SUVs, which are capable of reaching 0-100 kph in 4.5 seconds.
In order to reach the five locations, the series will have a ‘floating paddock’ which is estimated to reduce freight emissions by two-thirds compared with air travel.
This wonderful nod to the climate will still create evil “carbon emissions”, it will simply create a few less than flying, but more than staying home and not tripping off to remote exotic locations.
Are all the media covering this (supposing there are enough woke followers to require media coverage) going to travel by ship? No – they will fly! Their time is too valuable.
The former Royal Mail cargo ship RMS St Helena will undergo renovations, to become this ‘floating paddock’ and will host drivers, teams and their garages, as well as having a team of environmental experts on-board to study the environmental impact of climate change in each region.
As part of the agreement, race organisers must ensure that assessments are carried out with a local third party to safeguard the environment and the social impact. […]
Alongside racing, environmental experts from Cambridge University will join Extreme E, to conduct research and restore areas affected by climate change. Locations include the Arctic, the Himalayas, desert terrain, the Amazon rainforest and an island in the Indian Ocean.
BBC
Oh well, that is alright then, roll out some experts to study these ‘fragile environments’ while the teams rip around the place in electric SUVs. Seems legit.
Testing begins in mid-2020, with the series starting in Greenland in February 2021.