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Polar Politics
A
ntarctica still has the feeling of a remote and wild
place. Many people think it should be kept that way
and made into a world park.
Mining and Tourists
An issue not covered by the Treaty was mining. In the
1980s an attempt was made to write a mining treaty for
Antarctica. Although it had many good parts, in the end it
was not passed. In the 1970s and 1980s tourists began to
come to Antarctica more often. About the same time people
began to think that the Treaty was going to end in 1991.
In fact the Treaty has no end.
Non-government groups became involved in
Antarctica for the first time. Greenpeace suggested that
Antarctica should be made a world park. This would allow
scientific research to continue. It would also allow a small
amount of tourism. Mining would be forbidden.
Protection of Antarctic Wilderness
By 1990 nearly 40 countries had signed the Antarctic
Treaty. They felt that the world park idea would have no
advantage over the existing Treaty. Instead they agreed to
strengthen the Treaty. In 1992 they agreed to a new section
called the Environmental
Protocol
. This made much
stricter rules about what could be done in Antarctica. Part of
the Protocol was a ban on mining for 50 years.
Polar Tourism
Many people want to visit the polar
regions. The scenery and wildlife in the
Arctic and Antarctic are so special
that people pay thousands of dollars to
see them. If they are not to damage what
they have come to see tourists need to be
controlled. The Antarctic Treaty
Environmental Protocol will help to do
this. In the Arctic each country has
different laws and control is less easy.