Professor Richard Washington looks ahead to Uruguay Natural Energy X Prix
Extreme E: First of all, are you excited as a neutral in upcoming season finale?
Professor Richard Washington: Yes, certainly. As I get to know the drivers, it is becoming a bit harder to stay neutral though! Aside from the championship table, the thing that continually strikes me is the wealth of famous people from motorsport that XE has attracted. That in itself is such a success story, regardless of who wins.
XE: Extreme E will be heading to Uruguay for the final round of the championship. What is the significance of racing in Uruguay?
RW: Season 1 in Extreme E focused hard on climate impacts – wild fires, melting ice caps, sea-level rise, desertification, biodiversity loss. It is necessary medicine to learn about these issues and their tight connection to climate change.
Season 2, quite rightly, has also seen an emphasis on what we can do about the climate problem. The last race in Season 2 has the theme Energy and is fittingly matched with Uruguay. The need to generate energy differently is at the absolute heart of the climate problem.
We have relied very, very heavily on burning fossil fuels for our energy and have become accustomed, perhaps even addicted, to the lifestyle that has been possible from this cheap energy source. The price, however, is climate change and that is a price none of us can afford.
XE: So far, the Championship has primarily focused on racing in areas impacted by climate change. What are your thoughts on the series heading to Uruguay?
RW: I’ve spent the last two months running a climate science field campaign in north west Zambia a few kilometres from the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. We’ve been without mains electricity for those two months and what little electricity we have had from some solar panels has been dedicated to running our array of scientific instruments continuously.
It has been quite a juggling act eking out the last amp of electricity each day in order to make it through the dark night on the last of the power. I’ve never been more mindful of electricity and energy. So I am well primed for the energy theme in Uruguay.
XE: It feels like the country’s focus on sustainability and renewables ensures a shared ethos with Extreme E. How important is that?
RW: Uruguay is indeed a rare example for us to follow. There are parts of the world where the per capita use of energy which is generated by fossil fuels is shockingly high. And there are many countries where that number is strikingly low, though typically those countries are poor and very under developed.
The people living in NW Zambia are an example of the latter category. They impose no carbon burden to speak of. Their needs are incredibly modest. So how do you make the transition to a developed country without dependence on fossil fuels? The reality is that there are very, very few examples. But one of them is Uruguay. We desperately need more Uruguays!
XE: How do you feel Uruguay is a pioneer in this area?
RW: Transport, globally, is one of the key consumers of fossil fuels. Extreme E promotes the electrification of transport but if the electricity to power transport continues to be generated from fossil fuels then our quest will be pointless.
Uruguay is one of the very few countries in the world that has made the transition to renewables and 98% of their electricity is powered renewably. The transition has happened quickly. The country stands as an example to the planet of what can be achieved. It is an inspiration for us.
XE: There will also be a focus on ocean preservation through the championship’s legacy activities. How crucial is that?
RW: Two thirds of the planet is covered by ocean. We have, unfortunately, treated those oceans as yet another free resource. Uruguay has, commendably, placed considerable emphasis on preserving ocean life. Extreme E can be proud of joining forces with those efforts.
XE: As we come towards the conclusion of Extreme E Season 2, what has been your highlight of the year?
RW: Now that is a really difficult question – especially given the ongoing inspiration that Extreme E provides me personally. Can I come up with some finalists for this one? Camping out under the stars in the Arabian Peninsula in February in the run up to the Desert race, kayaking among ice bergs on the west coast of Greenland in August, sharing the brilliant company from across XE on that same Greenland legacy trip and being a passenger while Hedda and Kevin were driving off road in Greenland. I just loved watching how their feet dance on the pedals!
And the winner for me for Season 2 is… The legacy trip to Greenland (all of it!) – up there with one of the very best weeks of my life.
You can catch the Extreme E Season 2 finale in Punta del Este, Uruguay, on 26-27 November.
