Is this "research" necessary?

MOSCOW (AP) — After more than two decades of drilling in Antarctica, Russian scientists have reached the surface of a gigantic freshwater lake hidden under miles of ice for some 20 million years — a lake that may hold life from the distant past and clues to the search for life on other planets. 

Reaching Lake Vostok is a major discovery avidly anticipated by scientists around the world hoping that it may allow a glimpse into microbial life forms, not visible to the naked eye, that existed before the Ice Age. More here:

My original intent was to blog this and bitch like crazy about how you can never find out who is squandering this money.  Even in their wikipedia article, they find no reason to tell you where the money comes from. 

Hey, these "scientists" are making damn good money and I want to know who is paying them for all this "desperately needed" research.  Do they ever tell you how much money they make?

Anyway, I started doing some research into it and I'd have to put more time into it than I care to do at this time ... but as I was scratching the surface, I noticed something while looking at pics of the ice station.  First of all, It's supposed to be one of the coldest places on earth.

Vostok is the World Pole of Cold. During the long winter, temperatures average about −65 °C (−85 °F) in the brief summer, about −30 °C (−22 °F).

The pic at the top is kind of a panoramic view of the station -- and the pic below is a close-up of the building on the left.   As I was perusaling it, I noticed something ... is that a dog house in the lower right?  Good grief.  You can click on the pic to embiggen.

Oh, and one more thing.

The project, however, has drawn strong fears that 60 metric tons (66 tons) of lubricants and antifreeze used in the drilling may contaminate the pristine lake. The Russian researchers have insisted the bore would only slightly touch the lake's surface and that a surge in pressure will send the water rushing up the shaft where it will freeze, immediately sealing out the toxic chemicals.

Lukin said about 1.5 cubic meters (50 cubic feet) of kerosene and freon poured up to the surface from the boreshaft, proof that the lake water streamed up from beneath, froze, and blocked the hole.

Right, because "scientists" never pollute.  Perish the thought, everything is fine.   Meanwhile, libs are only interested in blocking filthy capitalists from polluting, ever notice?