Since 1959, the Antarctic Treaty has helped to keep the continent free of all commercial development. But Antarctica is currently very much at a crossroads with its future, as it is no longer the frozen, inaccessible mystery at the bottom of the world that Shackleton and Scott explored. So how should we deal with this situation?
Oil Pipeline - Chris Carey
There are some people who believe that it should be possible to develop Antarctica's valuable resources. There is the chance that in the foreseeable future, if Antarctica was found to have untapped oil and gas reserves, controlled extraction should be allowed as this will help reduce the pressure on the world's dwindling natural resources. But as no one `owns' Antarctica - wouldn't everyone be entitled to a share of Antarctica's natural wealth?
However there are also people who would like Antarctica to remain untouched and possibly even see the continent become a `World Park' or wilderness reserve. The priority here would be environmental protection and scientific research. Antarctica is ideal as an open-air laboratory for scientists, where they can tell us exactly what is happening with our planet. But who would be in charge of it? And who would have influence over it?
Antartica - BAS
To help you understand further how difficult securing Antarctica's future might be, try our simple Poll about mining in Antarctica. This relates only to one aspect of Antarctica's future but hopefully it will explain how difficult Antarctica's future might be in less than 50 years from now.
Antarctica's Future
