Extreme-E
Extreme-E
In August 2021 Kangerlussuaq was home to some of the World’s most genius automobile and mechanical minds: Extreme E, called the “Electric Odysee” which is a new FIA-sanctioned international off-road racing series that uses electric SUVs to race in five remote parts of the world each year held their Arctic Xprix here in Kangerlussuaq. All Extreme E’s racing locations are chosen to raise awareness regarding some aspects of climate change.
Extreme E maintains a “Legacy programme” which intends to provide social and environmental support for these locations. In Kangerlussuaq the legacy programme included developing UNICEF teaching material about climate change, introducing solar panels at the local school and getting the youth interested in vocational education through a sustainable e-gocart project.
As the centre of Arctic, working with Extreme-E was our way to support the climate change research, the organizer supporting a science team from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. During the Arctic Xprix the professors Carlos Duarte, Peter Wadhams and Richard Washington started up new research projects in Kangerlussuaq and held a research conference “The Tipping Point” with the participation of former UN executive secretary for climate change Christina Figueres and many local climate change researchers.