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Antarctica is the last pristine refuge of pre-human contact. Almost or even more reasonable the closest thing we have left untouched. Two kinds of humans have been able to defile it with the human touch, the scientists and the tourists. Anarctica should be left as unexploited as much as possible.

Antarctica is a unique place. There are no land mammals indigenous to it. There are penguins that live in and only in Antarctica. There are Leopard Seals and the whales that come to the region.

Antarctica is expansive place of mountains and is covered by glaciers. It is large enough to be a continent but lacks the diversity of a continent. Scientists have compromised and called it an island continent, but actually it is a continent super rich in H2O.

The Minerals
Antarctica is also rich in minerals. It is rich in rock anyway. Not much is known about the presence of natural resources of Antarctica. This is due to inaccessibility, isolation, and short summer window of the place. There may be quantities of coal, petroleum reserves, and a variety of minerals.

Mining such would be a problem due to the climate, weather, and insufficient transport capabilities. There is a hazard of weather and icebergs.

Antarctica Treaty
Antarctica is a subject of a non-nation treaty. No nation can claim sovereignty over it. Therefore one would assume, no nation can exploit the natural resources or profit from royalties associated with the exploitation. There are also no indigenous human populations, so no governments can enter into negotiations for exploitations. While no stipulation of the treaty expressly forbids the exploitation of natural resources, the treaty stipulates that only scientific activity can be done there.

H2O
The Antarctica is rich in H2O or water in frozen form. Water is the most second important resources to life on earth. Only oxygen is more important. Water or glaciers can however be exploited. In this millennium, human beings may become tempted to mine glaciers for water. The burden of Antarctica must be protected and never exploited.

If there is one place humans should not exploit, it is the Antarctica. It is the only place where humans have not changed for better or for worse.

www.coolantarctica.com
www.antarcticconnection.com
www.globalclassroom.org/antarct3.html

Learn more about this author, Jobie Weetaluktuk.
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