The collapse of the Wilkins ice shelf has generated a flurry of media interest. Here’s a clip that explains the issue in more detail:
In a number of articles, the Wilkins Ice Shelf collapse was used as a lead to talk about international talks on the threat posed by climate change to tourism in Antarctica. From ABC News (‘Wilkins Ice Shelf collapse sparks worldwide concern’)
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has used a conference on the future of Antarctica to warn the world that more needs to be done to combat climate change.
Her warning comes as scientists worry about the breaking away of the Wilkins Ice Shelf and concern about the impact of tourism on one of the world’s most unspoilt regions.
Antarctica is often described as beautiful, a continent so remote and unspoilt it stands in contrast to much of the rest of the world.
From USA Today (‘United States urges more protection for poles’):
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States on Monday called for enhanced protection of the Earth’s polar regions, proposing mandatory limits on Antarctic tourism and urging increased environmental research there and in the Arctic.Opening a two-week conference of parties to the 50-year-old Antarctic Treaty, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the recent collapse of an Antarctic ice bridge was a stark reminder that the poles are gravely threatened by climate change and human activity.
Interestingly, this weekend’s Sydney Morning Herald published a front page travel piece on Antarctica following this weeks buzz over the region (‘Voyage into the ice’). The article contains only a brief reference to tourism concerns in the final paragraphs:
There are many who argue that it’s too risky to allow large numbers of tourists to traipse across the world’s last great wilderness.
I can’t help feeling that the price for allowing operators to make money out of Antarctica should be a responsibility to turn the tourists into advocates for conservation.
An interesting choice of article, I thought worth mentioning.
