Ep. 283 Bertrand Piccard - Explorer, Entrepreneur, Speaker and Game Changer

Green Planet Blue Planet Podcast

Bertrand Piccard

Bertrand is the Swiss explorer/adventurer, solar plane pilot and climate activist. Since his historic flight in 2015, he and his Foundation have gathered -- and certified -- a portfolio of "1000 Solutions" that can be deployed NOW to combat climate change profitably.

The power of a vision: technological innovation tackling the environmental challenges of our times

In a society that depends on fossil fuels, Solar Impulse is a paradox, almost a provocation, aiming to fly without fuel or pollution, opening up a new way forward. By completing the first global circumnavigation in a solar-powered electric airplane on 26th July 2016 – a flight of 43,000 kilometers - Bertrand Piccard achieved much more than a major human and technological feat. Together with his partner André Borschberg, the Swiss psychiatrist and explorer proved that new clean technologies were efficient in saving the planet's natural resources. This makes him a pioneer of the ecological transition.

The around-the-world balloon flight was the fulfilment of Bertrand’s dreams of adventure, but Solar Impulse is his life’s project. It’s more than just a solar airplane capable of flying through day and night without fuel, it’s a powerful demonstration of how clean technologies can give our planet a more sustainable future. It offered him everything his family had bequeathed - the pioneering spirit; curiosity; perseverance; scientific exploration; airborne adventure; high technology; teamwork; calling into question what’s considered “impossible”…and of course environmental protection.

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