Published on: 02 September 2021
Joan Mulloy, a professional solo sailor from Ireland, has joined Team UMIAQ, a group of female athletes, filmmakers, scientists and technologists sailing from Iceland to Greenland to conduct research, drive awareness and start a new conversation around climate change.
The team is currently sailing non-assisted to Greenland through one of the world’s most remote and extreme weather systems. During the expedition, TEAM UMIAQ will be researching micro plastic pollution and ice melt in the Arctic region whilst piloting new adventure equipment materials created from captured carbon dioxide (CO2). The team will be testing an onboard renewable energy desalination and navigation system, and capturing the journey on film.
Joan is joined by renowned British explorer and scientist Felicity Aston, who was the first woman to ski alone across Antarctica, Sophia Scott, filmmaker, and co-founder of GROUNDTRUTH Global – a company that designs and create bags and expedition equipment made from recycled plastic pollution and captured CO2 and aims to drive the fashion and manufacturing industry forward.
The mission is focusing on data and technology as Team UMIAQ explores previously unreachable points of Greenland that have never been researched but are now accessible due to climate change. The team of scientists onboard will be collecting samples for microplastics and heavy metals analysis which will be tested by the National Oceanography Centre at the University of Southampton.
Joan Mulloy said: “I’m so inspired to be on this journey with such an incredible group of women. We are passionate about our respective sports and are grateful for the opportunities they have given us, but now more than ever they are all being impacted by the effects of climate change. We want to use this mission to aid research, drive awareness, and ultimately lead each of our sport industries into creating change.”
The team is joining forces with GROUNDTRUTH Global which will be testing its newly innovated hardware and textiles created by a combination of recycled plastics and nanoparticles containing solidified atmospheric CO2 captured from the air. GROUNDTRUTH, along with its innovation partners Carbon Upcycling Technologies and Polycore Solutions, aims to create long lasting products that have a true circular carbon footprint cycle. This new technology has also been applied to Team UMIAQ’s Helly Hansen jackets using captured CO2 ink.
A documentary, produced by GROUNDTRUTH, about Team UMIAQ’s expedition will be released in November 2021.
For more information about Helly Hansen and its ambassadors like Joan Mulloy, please visit here.
