Slovenian environmentalist fights against climate change

Published: 27.3.2017

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Slovenian environmentalist fights against climate change

Matevž Lenarčič, a Slovenian environmentalist, alpinist, photographer and pilot, has embarked on a new research mission within the Green Light World Flight project. His goal is to measure the black carbon and Saharan sand influx in the springtime from Africa to Central Europe, over the Mediterranean Sea, north and south of the Alps and above the mountain range itself, at different altitude levels. Matevž is gathering the data with his ultra-light aircraft, the WT 9 Dynamic, which is equipped with special instruments that measure the presence of black carbon.

Slovenian environmentalist fights against climate change

The Mediterranean 2017 Mission, as the project is named, will contribute significantly to the fight against climate change. It is also being sponsored by the Slovenian Tourist Board, which is supporting efforts to achieve sustainable development in tourism, as in other areas. Climatologists have warned about the serious threats of climate change to Alpine glaciers, which are an important source of drinking water and energy for Central Europe; however, according to some forecasts, they are in also danger of disappearance due to pollution.

One year ago, Matevž Lenarčič successfully flew 42,000 kilometres around the world in the same aircraft. He measured the concentration of black carbon in areas where no similar measurement had been made. The general concern was that the problem of black carbon has largely been underestimated. The results of the research were presented at several conferences, including the European Geophysical Union, the American Association for Aerosol Research, and the European Aerosol Conference.

Follow Matevž’s flight on the official website of the Mediterranean 2017 Mission and on its Facebook page.

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