Why More Tourists Come To The Earth’s Final Frontier
Rising out from cornflower waters is the badly wounded orange hull of a cruise ship reminiscent of a monument that marks the end of Antarctica’s end of innocence. Oblivious to the danger surrounding them, specifically from the thin oily sheen on the water, many penguins calmly perch on the overturned vessel. Flowing out are more of the diesel fuel from the shipwreck, even after tens of thousands of diesel fuel gallons that initially poured out evaporated already.
At the final frontier of this planet, times are rapidly changing. Consistently, bulldozers, amphibious trucks, ships and aircraft are sent in by the countries interested in reinforcing their claims to a portion of this Continent of Ice. Tons of new bases are being established while new research projects are launched with nationwide enthusiasm. The austral summer sees hundreds of well heeled travelers arriving from cruise ships, military planes or supply vessels contracted by specialized travel agencies each week.
The Earth’s final frontier requires no passport so private yachts and polar skiing expeditions are able to bring people into this place with much ease. Much like the perilous icebergs around Antarctica’s uncharted seas are the many legal, political and environmental questions that keep hounding the final frontier of the earth thanks to damaging instances like the oil spill caused by the sunken cruise liner, posing a huge threat to Antarctica’s wildlife. As no one owns Antarctica, no laws apply to it as stated in the Antarctic Treaty’s terms.
The treaty was signed by 12 countries in 1961, with all of them putting aside their territorial claims for about 30 years to reserve this continent for peaceful research. Eight other nations since have joined the treaty with full voting powers, while an additional 18 have agreed to abide by its provisions and hold observer status. The treaty nations meet about every two years. Exploration and exploitation of Antarctica?s mineral reserves has been drafted by the organization, but on a strictly regulated manner. But it is only beginning to grapple with such issues as the proliferation of bases, marine and air safety, indemnification, medical and rescue facilities.
The austral summer season sees more than 30 cruises heading to Palmer, bringing in about a hundred tourists on average. Tourism is hardly controlled and people even think it often goes out of control. As the Science Foundation aimed to keep people from disturbing the research process, tourists were banned briefly last year. However, the ban was inhibited when influential citizens in the US demanded to learn how exactly their tax dollars are appropriated.
To care for people?s health, the station staff also includes a medical corpsman in charge of a small venue that accommodates up to four dozen people whenever they need medical attention. It lacks skill in managing maritime disaster. The workers at the station reveal that fair weather alone can inhibit a catastrophe. It was established by them that the lifeboats found in the sunken vessel were inflatable rafts but lacked motors as well as oars. Being a calm day, this can be pulled back without much effort back to shore with just typical work boats. Many workers state that on a positive note, it is a good thing that it did not overturn of get blown out to sea with the vile Antarctic weather, creating more troubles.
As a quick response to the diesel spill quandary, navy and civilian pollution containment experts took with them 52 tons of specialized equipment after they were assigned by the National Science Foundation to fulfill this complicated mission. Two million dollars were spent for the mission. Sent to perform clean up missions are the navies from Chile and Argentina. Even as the clean up lasted until the middle of March, the vessel that sunk still held over 63,000 gallons of fuel making it impossible to be reached and siphoned out safely which means that as the ship disintegrates, more spills will come out and once a winter storm rages, the risk of everything flowing out is much higher. Getting the wreckage out would be very pricey, states experts.
The area where the spill is home to birds like penguins, skuas, Arctic terns, cormorants and many other kinds. Through the bay, lots of whales and seas pass through. According to most science experts, indirect evidence on deaths of birds and penguins due to oil spill poisoning have been gathered but then as to the extent of the damage, they still have to do more efforts. To analyze the repercussions caused to the environment by the spill, a special group of 15 researchers from Argentina, Chile and America have finally arrived. To be completed, so many years will have to pass and this without the promise of any damages to be rewarded.
Only the nations Argentina, Chile and Great Britain on the Antarctic Peninsula can seek compensation for damages and since the United States has no property rights to the area at or the one surrounding palmer station, they are not eligible for any compensation. Chile proclaimed recently that during the next Antarctic Treaty, each nation will be tasked to contribute financially when another threat to nature comes their way. The Science Foundation is currently trying to organize a coordinating office for emergencies on an international scope, along with an agreement to share costs of clean up missions especially for spills and other similar unwanted events.
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