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Venturing To The Frozen Continent
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. Not knowing about what danger lies underneath that sheeny oil in the water, penguins perch atop the overturned vessel without any qualms. 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.
Article Source: TravelFreeGuides.com
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.
Private yachts and polar skiing expeditions can easily get tourists into the last place on Earth as it requires no passport. Pretty similar to the multitudes of hazardous icebergs around Antarctica's uncharted seas are so many political, legal and environmental queries and concerns biting at the Earth's final frontier and even posing threats to its wildlife as with the case of the cruise liner that sank and unleashed poisonous diesel fuel. No one holds ownership of Antarctica so no laws apply to it, according to the Antarctic Treaty.
The pact, which aimed to make nations set aside their territorial claims and allow research to thrive in Antarctica for 30 years, was signed by 12 countries in the year 1961. The treaty is now participated by 8 more nations also receiving full voting powers while an additional 18 counties consented to abide by the laws while holding only observer role. Every two years call for a meeting among the treaty nations. A plan that will allow a strictly regulated exploration and exploitation of Antarctica has been developed by the alliance. But then they now see themselves wrestle with concerns from proliferation of stations, marine and air security, medical and rescue areas, up to indemnification issues.
During the austral summer season, more than 30 cruises were scheduled to call on Palmer, bringing an average 100 tourists on each occasion. 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. As soon as the prominent people in the United states complained and demanded to see how their tax dollars are spent, the ban was lifted.
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. Typical station work boats can tow it ashore without much hassle thanks to the very calm day. The concerned workers share that if it got overturned or got blown to the farther parts of the sea by the complicated Antarctic weather, things would become far worse.
Immediately, the National Science Foundation responded to the oil spill by dispatching navy and civilian pollution control teams wielding specialized equipment weighing 52 tons to address the problem caused by the oil spill. Over two million dollars was what the mission went to. Expensive clean up missions are done by Argentina and Chilean navy men. Even as the cleaning mission concluded at the middle of March, the sunken vessel still has up to 63,000 gallons that is impossible to be reached and pumped out without any health risks and it could spill out in a more massive manner once the ship gets torn while a winter storm rages or just go through the natural course of seeping out while the wreck disintegrates through time. It would be extremely costly to take the wreckage out, shares experts.
The home of skuas, penguins, cormorants, Arctic terns and many other birds might be affected by the massive oil spill. Passing through the bay are whales and seals. Indirect evidence linking the death of penguins and birds to the spill has been established by most scientists, but then the extent of the damage is yet to be finalized. A team of 15 experts came in to study the repercussions on the environment caused by the spill and these are researchers from America, Argentina and Chile. There is not a possibility for damage claims and it will also take years before it is over.
Because the United States of America holds no property rights to the area at or around Palmer Station, they will lose in their fight to seek compensation the area of the catastrophe on the Antarctic Peninsula but only the countries Great Britain, Chile and Argentina. Recently, plans were announced by Chile that they will propose that each country will be financially responsible for environmental damages among others, and this will be done at the next Antarctic Treaty. The Science Foundation presently is doing everything to organize a coordinating office for emergencies on an international level while trying to achieve an agreement among groups when it comes to costs of cleaning up spills and other unwanted occurrences.
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by: Christopher Hughes
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Date: Fri, 25 Jun 2010 Time: 12:45 PM -
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