Science and Policy studies (Antarctica) - Essay Example

?Science and Policy Studies 514502) Introduction Antarctica is often associated as the land where peace and tranquil prevails over the vast expanseof ice. However this region often described by adventurers as the place to test your endurance is slowly becoming a hot bed of international political activity. With the current energy resources estimated to last no more than 40 years it is but inevitable that the race is on between countries to locate and get access to more energy resources which ultimately would control the growth of the economy. Source: www.photohopnews.com, Paradise Bay, 2005 Science and Geopolitics of Antarctica History Since the find of large quantity of oil resources underneath the seabed, various countries lying in the geographical proximity of the Antarctic region have staked claim to certain regions of this land. If one were to go back in history, one would wind that international co-operation in field of Antarctic exploration dated way back to 1882 which incidentally was the first Polar Year. The second Polar year was held in 1932 with forty nations supporting the cause in the study of meteorology and radio science. However, these noble designs of international studies were marred even then by politics, with Britain staking a claim to a portion of the land in 1908. (Naylor Simon et al, 2008) By 1930 France, Norway and Chile had made their claims to certain regions in the Antarctic. Britain had in the meantime setup up a permanent base by sending an expedition code named Operation Tabarin. (Elzinga Aant, 1993) The era of Cold War also saw several expeditions being taken up by America and Russia which apart from being research oriented was also a method in power posturing. Source: www.afilmcanon.com, 2007, Shackleton's legendary 1914 Trans-Antarctic Expedition Present Scenario The present scenario is quite complex with a number of sovereign countries staking claim to the region. US as a superpower has not claimed any part of Antarctica nor has it recognized the claims made by any of the other countries. The Scientific Committee on Antarctic research was established for the purpose of enhancing cooperation in the field of research and knowledge sharing. The twelve countries include the US, UK and USSR who contributed a significant amount to its early budget. The Antarctic Treaty was signed on 23rd June 1961 by member countries who pledged to engage in more constructive and peaceful scientific research while at the same time putting individual claims on the backburner.( Dodds Klaus, 2010, Governing Antarctica) This lay to rest some of the apprehensions of Britain, Chile and Argentina. This treaty which was signed by twelve members initially has now forty seven members to its credit. (Crawford Elisabeth et al, 1992)This treaty brought about in the form of a legal framework described measures to keep the Antarctic region under a system of good governance. Apart from the find of energy resources, some of the other issues which affected the politics of the region were illegal fishing and unregulated tourism. The Antarctic Treaty system is also taking measures to control the prominence of illegal fishing menace since these areas fall outside the ambit of any one particular country law. Source: www.archivegreenpeace.org, 1990, crew of the Kyo-maru pulls a Minke whale toward its port side Two notable measures adopted were the Agreed Measure for the Conservation of Antarctic Fauna and Flora in 1964 and the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) established in 1982. The CCAMLR has sought to curb the illegal fishing of species like Patagonian tooth fish and ice fish. The other cause of concern is that unregulated tourism to this region has disturbed the eco balance of this region. In 2007-2008, it was estimated that 50,000 people visited this areas like the Punta Arenas and Stanley near the Faulkland islands. (Elzinga Aant, 1993) Illegal whaling off the Antarctic coast although monitored by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) has not been able to contain this activity since differences exist between members countries like Japan which allows this practice and Australia which takes strong exception to whaling activity. Straining of diplomatic relations between Australia and Japan has prevented Australia from voicing stronger opinions against this practice. Quest for Oil The exploration for oil reserves in the Antarctic region gained serious impetus during 1970 which were primarily due to the rising fuel prices caused due the instability in the Middle East region. Source: Dodds Klaus, 2010 By 1980, several countries started demarcating their regions of interest and earmarked it as an EEZ. Drilling of oil would invariably require seismic analysis of the sea beds and various oil companies started collecting this data from the Ross and Bellingshausen seas near the Antarctic coast. Further to finding oil reserves, mineral deposits of copper, platinum, uranium and iron ore were found on the Antarctic land mass. (Crawford Elisabeth et al, 1992) Before any comprehensive project to start the mining was evolved, the Greenpeace organizations along with the backing of Australia and France used their vet power to prevent mining and preserve the natural ecosystem of the region. However funding for such an expensive project remained and still remains a difficult proposition. Consequently a moratorium was signed whereby no such activity would be carried out in that region for a period of fifty years. However there was strong opposition to such a proposal from West Germany, Japan, US and UK. Brazil and India also posed strong opinions against this regulation that prohibited mining. (Elzinga Aant, 1993) Australia also ensured that an anti subsidy clause was drafted into the moratorium whereby member states would not promote the mining lobby into mining in this area by providing subsidies. The pro-miners however gained an advantage in that it could shun all responsibility in the event of a calamity or a sabotage that could happen during mining. There was a serious concerted effort on the part of pro mining countries to push for loopholes in the moratorium and engage in serious activity for sourcing oils and mineral deposits. However better sense has now prevailed since the importance and relevance of environmental conservation has taken centre-stage. Science and Politics The dynamics of political equations across countries makes it difficult for members to stand by their conviction. Domestic compulsions involving energy requirements may make some of them engage in activity that is in conflict with the moratorium. Antarctica is considered as neutral land to which all countries have an equal claim. (Elzinga Aant, 1993) With the technological advancement in off shore drilling platforms, under sea oil drilling and the use of freezer ships pushing on the limits, countries find it a very lucrative prospect in utilizing these resources at the expense of the treaty. Apart from these reasons the geographical location of Antarctica makes it an ideal location for establishing military bases for the superpowers to launch ballistic missiles. This has of course now been classified as a demilitarized zone. Source: Naylor Simon et al, 2008 The mission orientation of Antarctic research currently being pursued has expanded their range of studies. However the money that is being funded by governments or politicians that works under the powerful influence of the oil lobby, entirely being used for the sole purpose of research needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. Advancing the personal interests of the member countries is also part of the idea of sending their scientific personnel on such expeditions. This is because if and when the moratorium would be lifted, these countries would be right up there in staking a claim. (Crawford Elisabeth et al, 1992) The Scientific community is therefore not always happy in having to work in a hybrid community of politicians, bureaucrats and businessman but are compelled to do since funding for such huge expensive projects will not be possible without the synergy of a team comprising all three. Conclusion Not all research activity has political connotations. The International Geophysical Year (IGY4) has several prominent missions being undertaken by USA, UK, Germany and China at the Gamburtsev mountains and the US, Australia and New Zealand engaging in areas around the sub glacial highlands. Source: Naylor Simon et al, 2008 Antarctic Science therefore underscores the fact that research in this region is a mix between the ‘internal’ element which focuses primarily on the knowledge aspect of the study and the ‘external’ aspect which involves people or institutions interested in using this knowledge to gain political clout. (Elzinga Aant, 1993) Although the scientific activity is projected in the forefront it is but obvious that political compulsions would again gain prominence in this era for supremacy of energy resources. Reference Lists 1. Naylor Simon et al, 2008, Science, geopolitics and the governance of Antarctica, Nature Publishing Group. 2. Dodds Klaus, 21010, Governing Antarctica: Contemporary Challenges and the Enduring Legacy of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, The Geographic Journal. 3. Crawford Elisabeth et al, 1992, Denationalizing Science, The contexts of International Scientific Practice, Kluwer Academic Publishers. 4. Elzinga Aant, 1993, The politics of science in the polar regions, Changing Trends in Antarctic Research. Read More