Richardo Montiel's Diary
2008
Friday, February 1, 2008
When I saw an email from Alcoa/Earthwatch in my mailbox today while working the night shift, I didn’t even want to open it. I felt a very strange sensation in my stomach, so I went downstairs to get coffee.
After I grabbed the cup of coffee and went back to my workspace, I opened some other messages, keeping the Alcoa/Earthwatch email to the end. I couldn’t stop thinking about what could be the possible answer to my application. So…I opened the message, and the first thing I read was congratulations for being awarded the project in this year.
I just couldn’t keep in the emotions. I stood up and pushed the chair away, holding my head and talking to myself, saying “Wow, I can’t believe it so.” I read it once again, and then again and again, just trying to understand every word so I could make sure that I was not misunderstanding. When I knew where I was going to (Australia), I realized that my breathing was faster. I was very excited, and the first person that I let know was my girlfriend. She was very happy for me as well.
After smiling and celebrating, I just sat down in front of the computer, looking at the message, and thinking one single thing. I have the chance to give a part of me—working the hard jobs that associations, companies, authorities, governments, and scientists do—to minimize the impact and irreversible effects on nature.
I feel proud and engaged to be part of these major efforts, because we all want to preserve the colorful coral reefs, blue sky, blue waters, sandy beaches, green mountains, white glaciers, clean rivers, tranquil lakes, leafy forests and jungles, and living species that keep this planet colorful.
It is time to work and give back to this planet and protect what belongs to it. That’s my commitment as a 2008 Earthwatch/Alcoa volunteer, an environmental, health, and safety representative with Alcoa, and a dive master in recreational scuba diving.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
This has been an important day for not only me but Alcoa as well. The last aluminum smelting pot at Alcoa Fjardaál in Reyðarfjörður, Iceland, was started—and the startup process concluded—at Alcoa’s newest smelter built within 20 years.
Some of our teachers from Alcoa’s Canadian operations have left, and a few remain for a short period. We thank them a lot for all the transferred knowledge and their patience during one year of hard work. We are ready to make it safely our own safely.
Alcoa Fjardaál has 336 smelting pots that use 690-megawatts of electricity generated at a hydroelectric power plant at the base of Iceland’s northeastern highlands. No fossil fuels are used.
The smelter is expected to produce 346,000 metric tons of aluminum each year in the form of bar, coil, and sheet. Of the 410 direct Alcoa employees, about 30% are women. There are also more than 200 contractor employees.
Iceland as a country uses electricity generated through geothermal and hydroelectric sources. An Icelandic firm started using hydrogen-powered buses and cars, and there are hydrogen commercial filling stations available for these vehicles. We still drive automobiles powered by fossil fuels, but we all expect to drive a hydrogen-powered vehicle in the near future.
The other reason that this day has been special to me is that I have been granted my Australian tourist visa. This completes an important step in the process to go on my Earthwatch expedition, and I have marked it off my 2008 Earthwatch expedition checklist. There’s still a lot to do and a few months to wait, but the Australian visa has definitely opened wider the vision and excitement that I have for this project and doubled my motivation.
I congratulate the other Alcoa employees who were selected as Earthwatch fellows and wish them safe and exciting adventures.
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