The weather outside is frightful, but the irony is so delightful. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who became famous during the COVID-19 pandemic for saying that unvaccinated people would be second-class citizens in her country, went to study “climate change” in Antarctica — where the freezing weather caused her plane to break down.
Ardern was visiting her country’s Scott Base in Antarctica to “highlight” supposed “climate change” and mark the Base’s 65th anniversary, according to Reuters. “Cooperation in Antarctica and in the Antarctic Treaty System is more important than ever as we tackle the crises of climate change and biodiversity loss,” Ardern stated.
But those glaciers aren’t melting at disastrous rates yet, apparently. The NZ Air Force Hercules plane took Ardern to Scott Base, but her scheduled departure yesterday was delayed because another plane was required, RNZ reported. The plane broke down due to being grounded in Antarctica for two days, a New Zealand Defence Force spokesperson said.
“Experience has shown that cold temperatures can cause the aircraft propeller seals to have issues on start-up due to congealing hydraulic fluid and seal rigidity,” RNZ quoted the spokesperson. “The C130H will be repaired and is expected to return to New Zealand in the next few days.” Efforts to prevent the breakdown had failed, according to the spokesperson.
This is the second time weather has hindered Ardern’s quest for climate knowledge, as her initial flight turned around because of bad weather.
The NZ PM brilliantly observed that the Antarctican research she saw was “something else” and “ground-breaking.” New Zealand allocated NZ$344 million to rebuild Scott Base last year, Reuters said.
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