The Inuit community of Clyde River has done an amazing thing.
After spending two years resisting the threat of oil exploration in their territory, the town has installed its first ever solar panels!
Clyde River is one of the world’s most remote northern communities. For decades the town has relied entirely on expensive and polluting diesel fuel to power their homes and buildings.
As climate change worsens and the Arctic ice melts, energy companies are moving in to blast the nearby oceans in search of oil.
But Clyde River residents are fighting back.
Not only are they challenging oil exploration in their waters at the Supreme Court of Canada, they’re also proving that the Arctic can flourish without fossil fuels.
The town’s first solar panels will power the community center and the costs saved will be reinvested back into the community.
Greenpeace, along with Vancouver Renewable Energy Coop, brought the panels to Clyde River aboard the Greenpeace ship the Arctic Sunrise and trained community members on solar installation and maintenance.
The new panels were celebrated in the community hall with music and a feast, casting a warm glow over the community on such a foggy day.
You can support Clyde River’s fight to protect their Arctic home and move beyond fossil fuels at arctic-home.greenpeace.org