I'm glad you liked the article, though I don't consider myself cynical.
It is odd that you chose to derive this from first principles. People have been building in polar regions for years and this stuff has been thoroughly studied and the trade-offs documented.
For example, note that the fire hazards in the Antarctic are extreme, and this precludes just building one big multi-story building, even if that kind of construction were possible there.
Keeping trash in situ would violate the 1991 Madrid Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty. So would mining the pile for minerals!
You clearly know a lot about this stuff, so consider reading up on newer bases like Scott Base and the South Korean base at Terra Nova, and adjusting your plan accordingly. I'd be curious to read what you came up with.
It is odd that you chose to derive this from first principles. People have been building in polar regions for years and this stuff has been thoroughly studied and the trade-offs documented.
For example, note that the fire hazards in the Antarctic are extreme, and this precludes just building one big multi-story building, even if that kind of construction were possible there.
Keeping trash in situ would violate the 1991 Madrid Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty. So would mining the pile for minerals!
You clearly know a lot about this stuff, so consider reading up on newer bases like Scott Base and the South Korean base at Terra Nova, and adjusting your plan accordingly. I'd be curious to read what you came up with.