Antarctica

Question 1

General info and stats?

Answer 1

• contains 90% of all global ice
• less than 166mm precipitation annually
• very cold avg temp of -49 degrees
• at the Antarctic converge, cool mineral rich water rises where plankton thrive

Question 2

Threat of climate change?

Answer 2

• past 5 decades have seen warming of 3 degrees causing ice shelves around the Ross and Wedell sea to melt
• krill has declined since 1970s by 80%
• sea levels rising annually by 3mm since 1990s which increases melting rate
• ocean acidification

Question 3

Threat of fishing?

Answer 3

• Antarctic krill are the most fished creature with 200,000 tonnes in 2013 which depletes food chain
• legal limits in place to protect amount of fish but illegal fishing still occurs
• whaling declined since 1982 as regulations banned it due to significant declines in the population

Question 4

Threat of mineral extraction?

Answer 4

• mining is currently banned as conditions aren’t favourable too far away and too cold
• oil reserves under southern ocean, coal and iron is transantarctic mountains
• may change in future due to increasing demand
• Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic treaty signed in 1991 made it illegal

Question 5

Threat of tourism and research?

Answer 5

• tourists traveling increases co2 emissions
• trample vegetation
• waste from research centres was dumped straight into the sea

Question 6

International laws?

Answer 6

• Antarctic Treaty of 1959 is an agreement to sustainably manage Antarctica that 56 countries have signed up for
• states should only be used for peaceful reasons nothing military
• all bases and equipment can be inspected at any time ect. Must remain a common
• Protocol on Environmental Protection to Antarctica signed in 1991 which protects environment as bans mining, regulates fishing ect. Makes Environmental Impact Assessments mandatory for all new activities
• ni system in place to ensure rules so if conflicts can’t be sorted by negotiation they are taken to international court if justice
• countries must reach a consensus over all decisions so plans e.g. for Antarctic marine reserves from 2012 to 2016 were disrupted as Russia did not agree

Question 7

Global institutions?

Answer 7

• IWC or international whaling comission monitors whaling.
• 1994 set up a sanctuary in southern ocean but has been criticised that its not monitored enough
• introduced the whaling moratorium in 1982 which bans killing whales but some counties have evaded
• Japan killed 300 whales in 2018
• NGOs such as green peace say it’s not properly enforced
• United Nations Environment Programme reports all activity In Antarctica to the UN
• Comission for conservation of Antarctic Marine living resources (CCAMLR) aims to stop illegal fishing but its effectiveness is limited by countries protecting their own interests e.g. took 5 years to create marine protected area in the Ross Sea

Question 8

Global impacts?

Answer 8

• global sea level rise
• governance may slow short term economic growth of countries due to fishing rules
• allows collaboration of research

Question 9

NGOS?

Answer 9

• over 30 NGOS formed the Antarctic and Southern Ocean coalition formed in 1978 when there were concerns over making mining legal. They made it so NGOs could go sit in on meetings ect. Wants the prevent exploitation.
• they don’t act on the behalf of any countries so well positioned to monitor activities
• monitors impact if climate change by checking ice levels ect.