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| Picture Taken By: Hamish Moffatt http://www.flickr.com/photos/hnmoffatt/381679543/in/photostream/ |
The most significant effect of pollution is the dramatic climate changes. Within the past two decades, the annual mean temperature of the Arctic has risen at twice the rate of the temperature in the rest of the world (Store). Talk about warming up! Ice sheets and sea ice are increasingly thinning out, which affects the marine ecosystem. Species populations like krill, penguins, and fish are declining as sea ice decreases. Not only are our beloved animals dying out, people are also at risk. The ice cover around the continent regulates exchanges of heat, moisture, and gas between the atmosphere and the ocean. Any changes in the ice will change the planet’s temperature and change the discharge of ice back into the ocean, causing sea levels to rise. ("Antarctica and Southern Ocean Coalition") You may have heard the phrase “don’t cry over spilled milk,” but in the case of melting ice, it is acceptable to get emotional.
The Antarctic Treaty was the first successful attempt to alleviate the pollution level in Antarctica. A territorial dispute between Argentina and Britain, called the 1952 Hope Bay Incident, was the catalyst that initiated the Antarctic Treaty ("Poles Apart"). The treaty is the legal framework for the Antarctic Circle and exists to promote scientific studies, international relations, and environmental stewardship. In addition, the treaty focuses on protecting the environment, banning mining, and protecting the marine animals. Its main goal is to sustain the land and prevent pollution in Antarctica. Representatives of 28 voting nations and 20 non-voting nations meet every other year since the treaty entered into force, June 23, 1965, to discuss and improve the Treaty. As of April 2010, 16 new nations had joined the Consultative Party through investing in scientific research in the region ("The Antarctic Treaty"). Jonas Gahr Store, minister of foreign affairs in Norway, said in regards to the Treaty, “It enabled a well functioning legal order that deals with the challenges at hand. Thus, peace, stability, environmental protection and international scientific collaboration have been maintained in Antarctica. This is a remarkable achievement” (Store).
Although the Antarctic Treaty is very active, it is only part of the solution. There must be a strong group of environmentalists to uphold the Treaty and carry out new protection policies. The Arctic Council was created to fit the criteria of an intergovernmental assembly that addresses issues impacting people in the Arctic Circles. The Council focuses on Arctic Indigenous communities and other inhabitants, as well as environmental protection. It has conducted studies on climate change, oil and gas, and Arctic shipping. The Arctic Council cannot be reinforced or effective because the policies are merely strong suggestions. A.H. Zakri, director of the United Nations University’s Yokohama-based Institute of Advanced Studies, said, “Many experts believe this new rush to the Polar Regions is not manageable within existing international law.” The Arctic Council addresses the marine oil pollution in Antarctica, but they are not taking concrete actions. The Arctic Council must implement effective conservation measures in order for there to be positive change in the environment.
Since the Antarctic Treaty promotes scientific investigations, there has been an increasing amount of research done in the poles. Scientists are focused on extracting the oil to be as “clean” as possible. The Arctic is a cold, dark, and expensive place to get oil and natural resources. Therefore, it is a no brainer that the cost of oil production is twice as much in the Arctic than any other areas. The problem is the correlation between the amount of machines used and the increase of pollution. Scientists need to come up with new and green ways that will not increase oil pollution and will minimally affect the environment (King).
In the 21st century, with more machinery and automobiles than ever, there is a great need for oil. Disputes among companies and wars between nations are waged in an effort to attain this valuable resource. It is impossible to end the oil productions in the Antarctic and Arctic Poles, so steps should be taken to monitor the Poles. The first step is in process through the effectiveness of the Antarctic Treaty. If we want to see sustainable changes in the conservation of our planet, the Arctic Council must also be strengthened and there must be new scientific innovations.
Ying Lin
Work Cited
"Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition." Climate Change and the Antarctic. N.p., n.d.
Web. 16 Sept. 2012. <http://www.asoc.org/issues-and-advocacy/climate-change-
and-the-antarctic>.
Grom, Jackie. "Arctic May Boost Oil and Gas Reserves." ScienceNOW. N.p., 28 May
2009. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. <http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2009/05/28-
King, Hobart, Dr. "Oil and Natural Gas Resources of the Arctic." Oil and Natural Gas
Resources Map of the Arctic Ocean. Geology, n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. <http://geology.com/articles/arctic-oil-and-gas/>.
"Poles Apart." Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, 01 Feb. 2012. Web. 16 Sept. 2012.
<http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v482/n7383/full/482005b.html>.
Store, Jonas G. "Joint Meeting of the Antarctic Treaty/Arctic Council." - Regjeringen.no.
N.p., 06 Apr. 2009. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. <http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/ud/Whats-new/Speeches-and-
articles/speeches_foreign/2009/joint-meeting-of-the-antarctic-treatyarc.html?
id=554475>.
"The Antarctic Treaty." US NSF. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2012.
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