Should Antarctica Be Developed Essay

Should Antarctica be developed? Antarctica is the southernmost continent on earth. It is known for its vast array of ice and its cold climate (the coldest being a staggering -89.2˚ C!) It has ice which averages a thickness of 2160 meters and Antarctica is described as the last wilderness on earth. There are no native people living here but over the years it has come more apparent that Antarctica is extremely rich in many valuable resources such as the 500 million tonnes of krill within the continent. In 1959 a treaty was enforced aiming to protect Antarctica's environment and its eco-system. The treaty stipulates that it is prohibited to test nuclear explosion, to dump radioactive waste, it also makes military activates prohibited. It states that Antarctica should be used exclusively for peaceful purposes or scientific research. The treaty was again renewed in 2009 but it prompted the question of whether Antarctica should be developed.
If Antarctica was to be developed a vital factor would be whether all of its resources it has to offer should be mined. Antarctica has many resources such as oil, coal, minerals and fish on the outside of the country in particular which could be put to use but some countries such as America may use it to their advantage as appose to giving it to those who could need it for its money value. Potentially this resource heavy continent could serve the worlds needs. Perhaps it could dramatically decrease poverty in the world if the resources such as minerals and precious metals were mined and given to countries to help their financial state or economy. But who would decide which countries would need this money the most and will all of it go for the greater good of the people living there? In some countries it could contribute to the economy and the inequalities of the