IPY Blogs
Is the world’s last great wilderness disappearing in front of our eyes?
Over the past month, there has been an unusual abundance of negative environmental news coming from Antarctica.
First, at the end of November, a well-tested, ice-strengthened Antarctic cruise ship sank near the Antarctic Peninsula. The 154 people onboard were all safely rescued. The ship sank to the bottom of the ocean, with all the fuel, machinery and furniture that was onboard. The environmental impacts are being closely monitored. However, with today
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James Barnes, Dec 28th, 2007:
permalink report this comment as inappropriateIt is up to the Antarctic Treaty System Consultative Parties, and indirectly all of us, to ensure that the Antarctic is maintained for its most important purposes, which are enshrined in the Treaty and the Environmental Protocol - science, peace and protection of the natural environment. Although it is difficult because of the awkward juridical situation in Antarctica, we can take actions to limit tourism, to regulate biological prospecting, to stop whaling in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary, to create a wide range of specially protected areas on land and in the ocean. If we do not meet this challenge, our children and grandchildren will find a degraded form of Disneyland.