Should Antarctica be developed?

Lesson Objectives

• You will be aware that different groups of people have different groups of people have different opinions about the future of Antarctica

• You should be able to name specific groups with differing opinions

• You may be able to explain why their opinions differ

Interest groups

• Fishermen• Miners• Researcher• Tourist• Waste disposal

expert• Military spokesman

• WWF supporter• conservationist• Greenpeace• Eco-campaigner• Antarctic explorer

Fishermen• There are plenty of fish in the ocean, enough

for everyone• The world’s population is rising, krill may be

the answer to global food shortage• No one owns these waters, they belong to

everyone• Fishing has taken place for hundreds of years• We depend upon fishing to make our

livelihood• We will agree to fishing quotas, like everyone

does

Miners

• There are huge reserves of coal, oil and precious metals.

• They will serve the worlds needs• As non-renewable resources run out

we need to find other sources

RESEARCHER

• Its greatest value might be the information it can provide about our planet

• It’s the best location to monitor the Ozone Hole

• The ice can be tested to show past levels of global pollution

TOURIST

• People should be allowed to see the area, as the world belongs to us.

• Environmentally friendly tourism provides money for conservation projects

• Internationally agreed guidelines reduce the effects that tourist have e.g. tourists have to take their rubbish with them.

WASTE DISPOSAL EXPERT

• As the world produces more nuclear waste, Antarctica could provide somewhere to store it.

MILATARY SPOKESPERSON

• Because no one lives there it would be an ideal place to test new weapons & nuclear bombs

WORLD WILDLIFE FUND (WWF) SUPPORTER

• Fishermen do not stick to quotas. 70,000 tonnes of illegal catches are made each year.

• Cod can live for over 50 years and it takes 10 years to start reproducing. If younger fish are caught the numbers will fall.

• Over 140,000 seabirds are killed each year. Long lines baited with up to 20,000 hooks are trailed of the backs of boats. If the birds take the hooks in their mouths, they are pulled under the water and drowned.

CONSERVATIONIST

• Removing waste is very difficult and costly and so people wouldn’t do it unless they were forced to.

• 48 research centers house over 4,000 people in the summer are too many already.

• In the past, scientists just dumped their poisonous and radioactive waste, pumped millions of liters of raw sewage into the ocean and burnt their rubbish.

GREENPEACE

• The Southern Ocean is now a whale sanctuary

• Although whaling was banned in 1986 numbers remained very low and whales may become extinct

ECO-CAMPAIGNER

• • Tourism in Antarctica is growing faster than

anywhere else in the world• Over 11,200 visitors came ashore in 1998 alone• Tour operators are out to make as big a profit as

possible, not to save the environment• Their guidelines are not law• Tourist flights disturb the nesting birds

ANTARCTIC EXPLORER

• Mineral exploration has caused oil spells• The environment has been scarred, soil

has been removed and dynamite has been used

• In 1989 a transport ship sank and leaked 170,000 gallons of oil.

Activity• In small groups, discuss the points made on each

card relating to an interest group• Can you think of another piece of information that

might influence their view on whether Antarctica should be developed

THEN• Decide if, overall, they would be infavour or

against development in Anatctica. Yes, No, Some (specify what), It depends (specify why) are all acceptable responses. You MUST be clear about the reasons for your views.

ILA

• Write 150-200 word essay on your opinions about whether Antarctica should be developed or not.

• HINT: Could be ‘It must not be developed because….

• or ‘some types of development should be allowed. They might include….

• or Development is never acceptable because…..