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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday April 5, 2008 - 21 Expedition left lasting impression Continued from page 20 wind turbine while some comes from photovoltaic cells (solar cells), which convert the sun's rays into energy. The base also had water tubes that used solar energy to supply the E-Base with hot water. For the six months of darkness Antarctica goes through every year, Swan also has UV cells, which allow the E-Base to use UV rays as a source of energy. "If we can get this to work in Antarctica, we can get it to work in Toronto and we can get it to work in other cities," said Hawthorne. "What we were challenged to do is figure out what we can do to bring an E-Base to a place like China or Mexico or maybe Oakville. Can I use renewable solar energy to power my pool?" In addition to seeing how living an environmentally-sustainable life is possible, the group was taught about the effects of climate change and for such a lesson there was no better place than Antarctica, Hawthorne noted. This was made abundantly clear during one outdoor lecture when, almost on cue, a massive iceberg the size of a 10-storey building crumbled into the ocean. "I was one of those people who really didn't know whether global warming is a reality or if it was just talk, but when you see that, it really makes you think," he said. The sight of what was left of the Larsen B Ice Shelf was also enough to give Hawthorne pause. "These icebergs take hundreds of thousands of years to form. They're disintegrating in a matter of months and now you're seeing that. How do you reverse that?" After two weeks of learning while surrounded by the majesty of Antarctica, Hawthorne and his companions boarded their ship and began their journey home, however, Antarctica had one last thrill in store for its visitors. Between Antarctica and South America is a section of ocean known as the Drake Passage where fast-flowing ocean waters squeezed between the two continents often create fearsome storms. Hawthorne was disappointed during the voyage to Antarctica that the passage did not live up to its hype. There was not cause for such disappointment on the way back. "We actually went through winds that were gusting up to 100 km/h, which is right at the hurricane category," said Hawthorne. "During the roughest night no one slept. I'm 227 pounds and I was knocked flying out of my bed when we got hit by a 35foot wave right across the port side of the boat." Hawthorne said it was only after the ship reached its destination that he realized how close it had come to capsizing. During the storm, the wind and the waves had tilted the ship about 45 degrees, which Hawthorne said approached the limit of what the ship could take before flipping over. "We were lucky that we survived that," he said. "That's something I'll always remember." Despite some of the close calls Hawthorne faced during the expedition, he said he would jump at the chance to visit Antarctica again and hopes to apply the lessons learned there so that the greatness of the continent will be maintained for future generations. "I really took back the belief we're doing something really special by participating in this expedition, and we really need to make an effort to preserve Antarctica for our kids or whatever friends or family who might want to go there," said Hawthorne. "You won't find that beauty and serenity anywhere else."