Of all the planets regions, Antarctica is the most inaccessible and the most desolate. It was the one place, everyone agreed, that all the nations could share. But now, as man consumes more and more of the resources of his globe, he is turning new eyes to this ancient continent.

The Antarctica is slowly losing its reputation as the land of seals, ice, and penguins; and is gaining a new status as a region of iron, coal and of course, oil. There is real concern that the region may suffer as international scientific research is replaced by more nationalistic mineral exploitation which could lead to confrontation.

Scientific researchers based in the main U.S research facility often speak highly of the high amount of sharing and the peaceful cooperation between different nations over the decades.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. antarctic travel

The McMurdo Headquarters of the National Science Foundation, which runs the U.S Antarctica operations have a small park located nearby which is dedicated to the work and dreams of Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd. Richard Evelyn Byrd was the first to ever fly over the South Pole and led five Antarctic expeditions. His vision for Antarctica is a continent of peace, as nations work together for the cause of science, and set an example of international cooperation. The sentiments are noble, but can they survive in a world starved for energy and minerals?

The potential of the Antarctic’s mineral deposits is not yet known precisely but there is lot of desire to find out. Politics is now playing a greater role in the situation of the Antarctic. It is believed that below the thousands of feet of ice and deep below the hostile seas there are massive deposits of oil and minerals. cruises to antartica

Other regions of the Earth, where oil and mineral reserves have already been discovered in great quantities are geologically identical to the Antarctic. Exploratory offshore core drilling by the U.S has already provided data that supports the belief that hydrocarbon deposits do exist. The presence of coal on land has been confirmed with other metals and minerals including lead, cobalt, nickel, uranium, titanium, tin, gold and chromium.

Exploitation of the Antarctic has always been uneconomical due to the environmental conditions but this has now changed. This is changing with rising prices and new technology. And environmentalists and Antarctic scientists are worried.

Environmentalists worldwide are concerned because the Antarctic is one of the remaining few regions that are still unpolluted, untouched and unspoilt on Earth. The commercial interests will most certainly cause damage to the environment and environmental organizations like the International Institute for Environment and Development and also the Sierra Club are hoping the damage from this conflict can be minimal.

They would like full studies of the environmental damage of any exploitation will cause alongside the exploration to see what resources are available in the Antarctic.However they are worried the results of any studies will actually encourage development. What causes the most concerns is oil drilling due to the chances of an oil spill. A lot of the animal life present in the Antarctic, such as seals and birds, is located by the coast and may be heavily 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.

The landmark 1959 treaty set Antarctica aside as a scientific preserve and controls a lot of the activity that goes on there. 12 nations were originally involved with the signing of the treaty, later Poland joined and together they ensure that the region remains free of militarization and that no nuclear waste dumping takes place. The treaty has successfully side stepped any overlapping land claims. Many countries including Great Britain, Australia, , New Zealand, France, Chile, Norway and Argentina all claim territory within the Antarctic.

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