Antarctica (Global Governace/Systems) Flashcards
what is Antarctica an example of?
global common - a research area out of the control of any one nation state
what percentage of antarctica is covered in Ice?
97%
what are nunataks?
mountains hidden by the 4km thick ice. they poke above the ice sheets forming ‘islands’ in the sea of ice.
what was the coldest temperature ever recorded in antarctica?
89.2%
what is the annual precipitation rate?
50mm
what are two examples of research stations?
Mcmurdo
Vostok
what type of tourism is there in antarctica?
camping trips
over flights
ice walks
swiming
seeing glacial landscapes as well as whales and pengiuns
on average how many tourists visit each year?
40,000 - 100,000
what are the positives of tourism in Antarctica?
- well run tourism industry with a sound environmental record, only 2% of tourist landing sites visited showed signs of damage
- penguin colonies are largely unaffected by human activity, does not affect breeding
- promotes awareness of the importance and fragility of the landscape
- creates and economic gain to fund further research and protection
what is the international whaling commission and what does it do?
voluntary organisation set up in 1946 to conserve whale stocks. has no authority to make decisions, same as the one set up in 1982 (IWC whaling moratorium)
However norway and Iceland continue to practice whaling and japan have undertaking whaling for ‘research’. the main issue with this is that it isnt legally binding.
what is the ATS and what does it do?
It is the antarctic treaty system and it stops soveriegnty being given to nations states and was signed by 12 nations in 1959, before coming into effect in 1961.
- prohibits nuclear testing
- prohibits nuclear waste dumping
- guarantees free access and research rights to all countries
what are the negatives of tourism in Antarctica?
- summer tourists collide with peak breeding season
- due to the unique legal status of Antartica it is hard to enforce behaviour codes and laws
- tourists can bring new diseases
- land based installations and wildlife are clustered on non ice locations
what is the protocol on Environmental protection (Madrid protoccol) and what does it do?
set up in 1991 but came into force in 1998. was set up as a response to widening speculation that there may be fossil fuels beneath the ice sheets in Antarctica
- banned all mineral extraction
- no alien species could be introduced
- no removal or tampering with flora or fauna
- reduced pollution, heavy oils banned
- strengthened regulation on waste management
- rules established for environmental emergencies relating to tourism and scientific research, ensure tour operators plan for such emergencies
- runs out in 2048, at which point anthropogenic dependency on fossil fuels may become so great that mineral extraction may need to begin in Antarctica
what is the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic marine living resources and what does it do?
set up in 1982 to conserve antarctic marine life.
- challeneges illegal fishing
- first marine protected area, 94,000 km large
- hard for some countries to agree as fishing is a major part of their economy.
what is the (ASOC) and what does it do?
Antarctic and southern ocean coalition. coalition of 30 NGO’s, founded in 1978 and is the only NGO working full time to protect the continent. Works to promote goals and represents environmental community. Raise public awareness through its website and blog.
There have been 2 standout campaigns
- first one was to create a network of large marine protected areas
- second to negotiate a legally binding polar code that covers all vessels operating in the southern ocean.
What have Greenpeace done to protect Antarctica?
campaigning for the worlds largest protected area, 1.8 million square km, 5 times the size of germany.
It would stop industrial scale krill fishing, which props up the food chain. It would recover fish populations and enure food security for millions of people.
