Antarctica: Histories from the Empire to the Anthropocene Flashcards
South Pole
Leane (2016)
Frozen Empires: an environmental history of the Antarctic peninsula
An environmental history approach to Antarctic governance.
Argues that history of the continent has been characterised by claims to environmental authority (trumping environmental nationalism) demonstrating imperial continuity, rather than cosmopolitan rupture.
Producing scientific knowledge helping to legitimate political control with parallels to previous expedition histories e.g. RGS funding journeys to the poles.
Membership of ATS is largely rich, developed countries who can afford to do science - whose science, which humanity?
Howkins (2016)
China as a great polar power
In 2014, Jinping declared his intent that China join the ranks of great polar powers.
China draws on the imaginary that polar regions are the common heritage of humankind, so all states should have the right to participate.
Antarctica has always been a mirror for the changing global balance of power and geopolitical rivalry.
Brady (2017)
Climate change and cruise tourism in polar regions
Cruise tourism has grown rapidly in both polar regions.
* In Antarctica, tourism is formally regulated by the ATS
* In recent years the rapid growth of tourism has triggered debates among stakeholders about consequences for safety and the environment
* Market is mostly North American, European and Australasian
Lamers & Amelung (2010)
Against the Anthropocene.
Demos (2017)
Inhabiting the Antarctic
The Antarctic is not empty or one homogenous region of cooperation.
* Many distinct and interconnected ecosystems: over 100 facilities
* Because there is no Indigenous human population, anthropogenic inhabitation is intentional
* During the last decade, 35k tourists from over 30 countries have visited
* Bodies are closely managed: e.g. women are not allowed to be pregnant and if they become pregnant they must leave
* Embodied geopolitics through inhabiting the Antarctic
O’Reilly & Salazar, 2017
Cold colonies: Antarctic spatialities at Mawson and McMurdo stations
Argues that Antarctica has been colonised.
* 1954 Australian construction of Mawson Station: the first permanent settlement in Antarctic
* Humans have continuously occupied the continent over the past 50 years
* Despite a lack of Indigenous presence, there are continued colonial practices shaping the continent e.g. the exercise of spatial power that transforms land into possession since the continent is actually terra nullius
I really disagree with this take. I think colonialism is more than a matter of territorial struggle - it is also about intercultural relations and subjugation; there is a key emotional connotation of exploitation. Coloniality woudl be better - practices of colonialism that extend beyond official institutions
Collis & Stevens (2007)
Toward Antarctification: tourism and place-making in Antarctica
Antarctification is proposed to refer to how tourism developments are changing place-making processes in Antarctica. It refers to how the continent is represented and therefore produced, leading to material consequences, through the circulation of narratives and imaginaries.
* Builds on concept of ‘Arctification’
* Visitor numbers increased from 74k in 2019 to 106k in 2022
* 4 discourses: exploration, emptiness, extreme and needing environmental stewardship
Narratives do important material work which produce spaces and impact conservation agendas, wildlife, icescapes…
Homogenisation of representations despite regional differences and local tourism geographies.
Paper shifts focus of place-making from scientific research to tourism.
Varnajot et al (2024)
Melting empires? Climate change and politics in Antarctica, post-IGY
In the early 1950s, Antarctica was the stage for a number of geopolitical rivalries whilst Cold War US and USSR refused to acknowledge any territorial claims.
* IGY 1957 was a turning point: major research effort involving unprecedented cooperation even though countries still tried to out-do one another
* Shift towards seeing Antarctica as a dangerously vulnerable environment. Antarctic science has made significant contributions to the development of climate change science generally
* AT promotes science but AA argues it is a further marriage of science and politics which draws upon benevolent paternalism to hide continued power hierarchies where developing countries most impacted by climate change are excluded
* Privileged ‘insider’ position of AT countries
Howkins (2011)
