Antarctica is the coldest and most desolate of all the regions of the planet. With little chance of being able to support much human activity, it was decided that Antarctica could be shared. But, as the world’s natural resources have started to run out, more nations are looking towards Antarctica to replenish their stocks.
The land of penguins, seals, whales and ice is seen as a potential land of oil, coal and iron. The region may become the subject of international confrontation and resource exploitation and cease to be a region of international cooperative scientific research as it is today.
The sharing between different nations and the pleasant cooperative atmosphere present at places such as the main U.S Antarctic base have been spoken of on many occasions by the scientists that are based there. The high level of human bonding is said to be because of the common challenge that the environment creates, and a common interest in the research that is being done. antarctica tours
The National Science Foundation McMurdo headquarters of the National Science Foundation which runs the U.S. Antarctic operations has a small park next to it which is dedicated to the idealistic dream of Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd. Richard Evelyn Byrd led five expeditions across Antarctica and was the first to fly over the South Pole. Byrd saw that the Antarctic could be a region with successful international cooperation and that it could set an example of nations working together for a common cause.But as we consume more of the Earth minerals and become more energy dependent are Byrd’s idealistic practices likely to remain in tact?
There is growing interest in the possible minerals located in the Antarctic, but no one knows the extent of the possible supply.The situation in the Antarctic has changed to become more revolved around political situation and less in science. Perhaps, under the full depth of the ice that covers 98 percent of the area and under the deep, icy seas there is a large source of essential minerals and oil. antarctica holiday
Antarctica and the surrounding region are similar geologically to other regions of the Earth where oil, minerals and gas are found in abundance. Some offshore exploratory drilling by the United States has provided results that indicate a high possibility that hydrocarbon deposits are present. Large deposits of coal and iron have been discovered on land, as well as concentrations of chromium, nickel, cobalt, copper, gold, titanium, lead, tin, uranium and other metallic minerals.
The Antarctic’s extreme environment has always meant that its exploitation has been economically unwise, but this is no longer the situation. The rising prices of natural resources has made governments look again now that new technology is available, and Antarctic scientists and environmentalists are very worried.
Mineral exploitation in Antarctica is a huge concern to environment groups worldwide because it remains one of the only regions that is unpolluted and unspoilt by man. The environmental groups the Sierra Club and the International Institute for Environment and Development have predicted this conflict between the environment and commercial interests.
They both feel that exploration of the resources is inevitable but must be accompanied with research on the impact the exploitation will have on the environment. There is the worry that the research exploration will actually encourage exploitation. What causes the most concerns is oil drilling due to the chances of an oil spill. The majority of the animals, including seals and birds that live in the Antarctic, could be severely affected. Colder climates cause oil to degrade and break up at a slower rate than in warmer ones so an oil spill in the Antarctic will be harder to deal with and more damaging than in other areas.
Antarctica became a scientific preserve following the landmark treaty in 1959 which controls a lot of the activities that go on in the region.One of the things that the twelve nations who signed the treaty have managed to achieve is to keep the Antarctic free from militarization and nuclear weapon testing.Great Britain, Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, France, Norway and Chile all have territory claims in Antarctica but the treat managed to side step these land claims.
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