Global warming is the burning issue vexing politicians and pop stars alike, but now a new source of 
brainpower has been tapped – that of 8,000 school students. A team of three Eltham students – Nathan Allen, Chris Balding and Jess Fok – entered a high-profile national competition with a radical idea for a carbon-neutral sulphur-burning power station that recycles its own fuel.
Short-listed for the national finals held at the prestigious Imperial College London, the three had to present their idea to eminent scientists and climatologists, and were praised for their “excellent presentation” and “revolutionary science”. They also performed a spectacular science demonstration, showing how their idea would work.
After being interviewed on BBC news, Nathan, Chris and Jess were chosen as winners to be among the 36 students now heading on an expedition to the Arctic to see the effects of the changing climate close up. The expedition will take them 1,000 miles north of the Arctic Circle to encounter pack ice and polar bears, and participate in cutting edge research with leading scientists.
