Antarctic Race đua

As a non-government continent, Antarctica is twice the size of Australia, containing many untapped natural resources. The human presence in this place is represented by an office located in Buenos Aires, Argentina, consisting of only 10 employees, in front of the door with a wooden sign: ‘Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty’. That office represents 54 countries that are present on the largest iceberg on the planet…
Land without government

Unlike the Arctic, where many countries around the world have built their own bases to serve a number of fields both in terms of science, economy and military, for Antarctica, this is still an unofficial land. government although the countries closest to it are Argentina, South Africa and Australia. Every year, during the winter, Antarctica does not receive any sunlight for 6 months; In summer, the sun is always on the horizon. Most of the sunlight falling on Antarctica is reflected back by the white ice, 1.9km thick on average, plus the highest terrain in the world (2,800m above sea level) giving this place its climate. coldest on earth. In the middle of summer, when the sun is perpendicular to the Tropic of Cancer, the average temperature in Antarctica is -25°C. In winter, when the sun moves down the Northern Hemisphere, Antarctica is as cold as -65°C and in some places -89.2°C. A cruise ship takes visitors to Antarctica Initially, only seven countries made claims, including Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, and Great Britain, by setting up facilities in the name of scientific research. Some other countries such as India, Italy, Russia, USA, Pakistan, Ukraine… although not claiming sovereignty, they also build long-term and sustainable constructions. In 1959, after much controversy, in order to prevent military conflicts, the United States, Great Britain, the Soviet Union and nine other countries signed the Antarctic Treaty, which essentially “set aside territorial claims” and use Antarctica for peaceful purposes only. Jane Francis, head of the Antarctic Survey, UK, said: “In 1980, five more countries made claims to sovereignty and now, 54 countries are present in Antarctica with 75 research stations. That poses many problems that need to be solved, such as climate change, fishing, tourism, resource exploitation…”. The results of 50 years of observations show that temperatures in some areas of Antarctica are rising much faster than the global average. This leads to melting glaciers and consequent sea level rise. Marine biologist Damon Stanwell-Smith, who first visited Antarctica more than 25 years ago, said: “Things have changed rapidly and we can see clearly. Just six years ago, there was Areas that are not accessible by boat during the winter are now experiencing large currents, allowing tour operators to bring tourists to visit Antarctica. Still according to Damon Stanwell-Smith, from November last year to April last, despite the raging COVID-19 pandemic, 51,000 tourists set foot on Antarctica, an increase of 17% over the previous year and will continue to grow. continues to increase even though the tour price is from 1,000USD to 100,000USD per person depending on geographical distance. “In addition to the 33 ships registered with the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat, there are 20 other ships under construction, not to mention the kayaking or air-plane tours that make Antarctica an oasis,” Mr. Damon said. play uncontrollably…”. The majority of tourists to Antarctica are Chinese, second only to the US in the ranking because Beijing is investing heavily in the continent, as part of its plan to become a “polar power”. What is Antarctica when the Antarctic Treaty is no longer in place? The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was adopted in 1991. It entered into force in 1998 and is the main instrument related to the conservation and management of biodiversity in Antarctica, in which There is a ban on exploitation of natural resources. However, after 50 years, the countries that signed the Antarctic Treaty can decide to amend the fishing ban provided that at least three-quarters of the current consultations – the 29 countries of the Antarctic Treaty – agree. Notice when the 50-year period will end in 2048. Whales slaughtered at a logistics base in Antarctica However, before the Environmental Protection Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty, seal hunting in Antarctica was practiced as early as the 18th century by the British, Norwegians, Argentines and Chilean. Meanwhile, large-scale whaling in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic waters increased sharply in the early 20th century, mainly by Norwegian and British companies. Whaling logistics stations erected in Antarctica are implied to be part of that country’s territory because, under international law, state activity is a key element of ownership territory. It is therefore not surprising that it is expressed in many forms by all the claimants to Antarctica, from scientific research facilities to dormitories for experts, rescue stations or offices that maintain navigation, airports, logistics, harbors, lighthouses, not to mention that some governments license whaling, seals, The establishment of national parks, the issuance of postage stamps, the mapping and naming of each area, etc., are concrete examples of the race to own Antarctica. According to National Geographic, UK, an increasing number of activities are damaging Antarctica, such as legal and illegal fishing, including the molluscs it contains. is the main food for whales. Arthur Devries, a fish biologist at the University of Illinois, USA, said that since 2003 he has not found an adult toothfish in Antarctica while in 1970, he caught 500 fish for a season to study a protein in the body of fish that helps make anticoagulants. Environmentalist Huck Dulown of the University of Gundee, UK, says he has collected hundreds of meters of damaged nets left behind by fishing boats, not to mention engine oil and household waste. travel. Huck Dulown said: “There are places called ‘scientific research stations’ but maybe inside are not military bases and it is not excluded that it hid missiles with nuclear warheads as it once happened. It goes against Article 1 of the Antarctic Treaty: “Antarctica shall be used for peaceful purposes only. Any measures of a military nature, such as the establishment of military bases, the conduct of military exercises, the testing of any weapon, are prohibited. Antarctica is humanity’s last unspoiled reserve. Under the ice of this continent is an extremely large mineral resource including oil, copper, gold, titanium, uranium, rare earth …, and the surrounding seas are inhabited by many types of creatures. In addition, the glaciers in Antarctica contain 90% of the fresh water in the world, so South Africa, for example, was planning to pull an iceberg to serve the freshwater shortage in the city of Cap Town. A scientific research station in Antarctica And although Antarctica itself is a demilitarized zone, armed conflicts have arisen in a number of its vicinity, including Chile and Argentina over an island near Cape Horn, as well as claims to the South China Sea. The two countries’ overlapping territorial claims, or the war between Argentina and Great Britain over the Falkland Islands, is the gateway to Antarctica. Although the war ended long ago with the victory belonging to Britain, according to observers, it is very likely that it will flare up again. Jim Tymothy, a professor in the Department of Geopolitics, Yale University, USA, said: “The fate of the territories in Antarctica depends on the coordination of the great powers. If coordination is not achieved, the continent will share seven in the next 20 to 30 years, and that could lead to an Antarctic war, is based on these factors: The emergence of technology that allows the rapid and economical supply of fresh water from glaciers in the South China Sea. Antarctica to dry regions, rising oil prices and increasing demand for crude oil Besides, food also needs to be exploited more due to the growing global population, which requires fishing in Antarctic waters…”. At the moment, there is no such convergence of interests, but more than ever, it is likely to take shape because over 60 years, up to now, 54 countries have joined the Antarctic Treaty. including 29 European countries, 9 Asian countries, 8 South American countries, 4 in North and Central America, 3 in Oceania and 1 in Africa. Not only that, the number of consultative parties of the Treaty with bases in Antarctica is also constantly increasing: Australia, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Chile, People’s Republic of China, Korea Countries, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, UK, India, Italy, Norway, New Zealand, Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Russia, Spain, South Africa, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA and Switzerland. The remaining 25 countries join the Antarctic Treaty as non-consulting parties but still have the right to attend relevant meetings without being included in the decision-making process. However, although “not included in the decision-making process”, these 25 countries still assert their position in Antarctica through scientific research stations, airports, ports, logistics facilities, etc. So the Antarctic race probably hasn’t stopped yet because no one is sure that in the future, no country will send people to this cold continent…