Earth's southernmost competition, conflict and war have not yet occurred.


Odoo CMS - a big picture

No places such as Antarctica so, science, environmental protection, politics so closely tied together.


February 15, 2014, located in the Earth's southernmost continent into winter. Research vessels from different countries in turn leave this area, China's "Snow Dragon" also ended on the 30th Antarctic scientific expedition. Aboard the icebreaker to $ 19 million available from the Ukraine, China is now the only ship owned by the polar scientific research ship.


1955, the United States, Belgium and other representatives of 12 countries to reach a consensus in Paris, to shelve the proposed parties to the Antarctic claim of sovereignty, therefore, to establish a scientific research station, the delineation of conservation areas is considered to be a new means of competing interests "This is a soft control", the use of science, environmental protection and other ways to defend their rights and interests in the Antarctic, "this trend more and more obvious."


As of 2013, a scientific expedition from over 20 countries are already built more than 150 Antarctic scientific research station, and that number continues to climb. Which has the largest scientific research station in the Antarctic Argentina, if China plans to complete five scientific research station in the Antarctic established, will be more than the United Kingdom, Australia, after a row in the United States, the United States has six.


If seen as the end of the pole direction of the blade, Taishan station is more close to the blade tip. Taishan station where Princess Elizabeth, the 85 km from the Grove Mountains, here is China's only a nature reserve in the Antarctic, enjoys management rights.


Taishan station is considered the establishment will further strengthen the right to speak on the Grove Mountains. Compared to the Grove Mountains, more attractive it is the Prince Charles Mountains, it is about 300 km from Mountain Station, China has never set foot. Data shows that Prince Charles Hill iron ore reserves of 200 years for the development and utilization of the world, is one of the world's largest iron ore.


In the past 20 years, the Chinese Antarctic scientific expedition for funds grew from about 120 million yuan to 330 million yuan, meanwhile, are being developed for polar scientific expedition icebreakers and helicopters. However, the strength of China's scientific expedition to be strengthened. United States McMurdo Station summer visits usually gather 2000 -3000 name of scientific investigation personnel, even in winter can also support four to five people wintering scientific investigation. China's Zhongshan Station, the Great Wall Station, only about 25 people.


In the Antarctic, research strength is the right to speak.


Area radiation zone is not clearly divided. And safeguard the stronger, the more wide range of scientific investigation carried out, the greater the radiation radius.


China in 1985 after the construction of the Great Wall Station on King George Island, were also established in 1989 and in 2008 the Zhongshan Station and Kunlun Station, the distance between the two stations over 1200 km, an altitude difference of 4,000 meters.


May 2013, China officially submitted its EIA report Belgium Taishan station. Under the "Antarctic Treaty", countries prior to the establishment of scientific stations, may need to estimate the impact on the environment.


Interwoven interests


China stepped up at the South Pole station makes sense, according to a professor of Nanjing University of Information Management capability in study found that from 1998 to 2008, national passion for Antarctic Studies show a steady upward trend, the amount of average annual growth rate of about Articles 100 articles, 2008 reached 2,809. About 70% of the papers from the United States, Britain, Germany and Australia.


Applicant countries have for the management of protected areas, is a public authority has been given. Protected Areas once established, any country, including the management of protected areas, including the country, to carry out activities in this area are required to apply for a license, you may not enter. A scientific investigation sources said, out of consideration of the interests of countries competing designation of protected areas, through protected areas, to restrict the behavior of other countries.


Currently, the two most intense debate is to restrict the fishing of protected areas as a starting point: one is the United States and New Zealand proposed to establish a total area of ??about 2.3 million square kilometers of protected areas in the Ross Sea region. In addition, Australia, France and the EU proposed the establishment of an East Antarctica about 1.63 million square kilometers of protected areas.


Special Session Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) 2013 held in July on New Zealand, the United States and other countries once again put forward in the Antarctic sea demarcation of new protected areas, in order to ensure sustainable development of fisheries and promote scientific research. CCAMLR members include 24 countries and the European Union, China is also in them.


Environmental vulnerability


Indeed extremely fragile Antarctic environment, which is a fact.


1991, "Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty" (the "Environmental Protocol") in the Spanish capital of Madrid by countries agreed that in order to protect the Antarctic environment, since the entry into force "Environmental Protocol," since to the next 50 years, can not in the Antarctic carry out any mineral resource extraction activities and scientific research unrelated.


Since then, few mineral article focused on Antarctic Research. By the end of 2013, Australian scientists in Antarctica North Prince Charles Hill discovered kimberlite. Kimberlite is a very rare rock, usually containing diamonds. This is related to Antarctic mineral resources, few articles published.


Because of the ship's passengers were trapped basically tourists, but also led the scientific community to discuss again whether the Antarctic tourism is restricted. Tourists generally take large ships, once the ship suffered an accident, it may be due to oil spills and other pollution to the South Pole. As of 2011, this sea has happened since 29 ship accidents.


Explicit limits on Antarctic tourism has not made "Environmental Protocol", making the environmental behavior of Antarctic tourists to rely on consciousness and education and other constraints, so that the effect is very weak. For example, researchers at the front foot on the Antarctic, the body needs to be cleaned to avoid contamination foreign microbes into the Antarctic environment, but also to avoid close contact with animals. According to many Antarctic scientific expedition staff observed that many tourists from China can not do that, "For the scientific expedition team, the experience has been very adequate environmental protection, tourists is not the case."


Supporters believe that allowing people to Antarctica have experienced help promote protection of the Antarctic. Australia may be taken as a method more feasible, according to local media reports, the Australian officials expressed the need to learn the lessons of "Cali Chomsky Academy" was perfect polar travel regulations.