Floating Igloo Design Helps To Protect Emperor Penguins
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Penguins in Antarctica have been under threat for years as climate change slowly melts away their homes.
Penguins are a lot like people. They need food and a good environment to thrive. Emperor penguins in Antarctica are at risk of extinction as glaciers melt, temperatures rise, and their food sources vanish. Scientists say emperor penguins could go extinct by the end of the century if climate change isn't addressed.
Iranian architect Sajjad Navidi hatched a design to protect the majestic creatures. He says the "floating igloo" would give them a safe place to breed. "They adapt a behavioral strategy by coming together in large groups called huddles," Navidi says.
That huddle inspired Navidi's two-part concept. An igloo above ground to give the birds enough space for a waddle to keep eggs warm and an inverted igloo underwater so penguins can search for food while a swinging pendulum uses waves to power fans to stop ice from melting.
"This underwater system is independent and when needed can smartly separate and move toward areas of melting ice," Navidi says. It's just a concept for now, but Navidi says he's had interest from investors to build a prototype of the floating igloo.
Although, some environmental activists say it's not the right solution. "The root problem is our use of fossil fuels that is drastically changing the climate of the planet. Until we address that, we're not going to be able to save penguins through floating structures in the water," says Arlo Hemphill, a senior oceans campaigner for Greenpeace USA.
Still, Navidi is passionate about his penguin protection project and hopes to bring it to life.