Colonizers of Antarctica May Face Tough Decisions

The division of Earth-related spaces like continents, outer space and high seas space interests Dr. Christy Collis of Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and led her to examine the treaty designated divisions of Antarctica.

Australia, the location of QUT, claims 42 percent of Antarctica, while Chile, Britain, Argentina, Norway, France and New Zealand each lay claim to other smaller territories. Surprisingly, several of these territories overlap, and the U. S. has no claim at all even though the U. S. has three research facilities on Antarctica: McMurdo on Ross Island, Amundsen-Scott in the interior and Palmer on Anvers Island.

Dr. Collis is posing the question: What would happen if an unauthorized mining interest were to start-up in territories claimed by Australia?

In 1959, signatories agreed to the Antarctic Treaty which reserves the region below 60 degrees South latitude for peace and promotes scientific investigation amid international cooperation and good will that includes annual exchanges of information about activities and the state of the environment, as stated on the U. S. Arctic Program Web site, USAP.gov, where you can read the treaty in full. It is because of this treaty that no nation can be said to own any part of Antarctica but only lay claim to a specified territory, a map of which can be seen on the Australian Antarctic Division Web site, AAD.gov.au.

Antarctica is known to be a storehouse of fresh water and massive reservoirs of oil and natural gas. Dr. Collis is concerned that as global climate change and resource capital consumption depletes resources throughout the world, Antarctica will be a prime and irresistible target for exploitation. Up until now the Treaty has been a profoundly successful document that has safeguarded protection of Antarctica's environment.

The treaty imposes a moratorium on mining of Antarctica's resources until 2048. In regard to the possibility of occurrence of illegal mining, Collis queries: "Would Australia act as a force to intervene, or would the Treaty as a whole somehow respond if there needed to be physical intervention?" She suggests that Antarctica's future is not as secure or stable as the presence of a treaty might suggest.

The seven nations who have a claim to Antarctic territory have a colonizing presence there, and in the 1950s there were international suggestions that Antarctica should be placed under United Nations protection and authority. That of course immediately met with considerable resistance from the claimant colonizers.

Dr. Collis concludes by saying: "There are a lot of question marks around the future...I don't want to sound negative because...legally, all that can [currently] be done is being done to protect Antarctica."

"Cold colony vulnerable to environmental challenge," Queensland University of Technology, Australia.