Should Antarctica be developed?

To understand the arguments for and against developing Antarctica

What does Antarctica offer?

• Lots of wildlife, including penguins, seals and whales

• Minerals are stored under the ice sheets which are 3 miles thick in places

• A unique holiday experience• A supply of Krill and fish• A natural landscape mostly untouched bu

humans

Rank these factors in order of importance! 1 being most important

• Antarctica has important minerals stored under the ice

that we may need to use in future, like oil, gold and coal

• It contains 75% of the Earths fresh water• It reflects heat energy from the sun back into space

and thus reduces global warming!• Its waters contain massive stocks of Krill which may be

the answer to global food shortages• Its ice can be tested to show past levels of global

pollution• It is the only natural landscape left in the world• It could be the safest place to dump nuclear waste as it

is away from humans• It is the only place where certain penguins, whales and

seals can live. Without it these animals would be lost!!!!

Why is Antarctica important?

You can only find scenery like this in Antarctica

Where else can you find a glacier this big?

Where else can you have 24 hours of day light for one month of

the year?

We are the most dangerous seals on Earth, we have our home here!

We live on Antarctica-aren’t we cute!

We rely on Antarctica to

breed!!

Humans disturb our home, they affect our

breeding and they bring strange things and

watch us!!!!

Humans are taking my fish food from the ocean, what if

they take it all?

Krill- food for the animals!Future food for us?

• Krill is abundant in Antarctica, but all other animals in the region eat them, as other species die they are getting eaten!

• Some people think Krill will soon be the only sea creature left for us to eat- as we are over fishing other fish species like cod!

Antarctica should be left as it is ‘the world’s last wilderness

Clean-up of abandoned sites is a current priority for the Australian Antarctic Division. Photograph Wayne Papps 

There may be oil supplies under the Ice, we are short of

oil so why not use it?

Oil prices are rising, if there is oil there we

should use it to lower the price

There could be other minerals under the ice that would be useful to us!

This is our planet we have the right to go wherever

we want on it

Tourism can make money to invest in Earth

Tourist operators are beginning to tap into the huge demand to visit the last great wilderness on Earth.

If people visit the Antarctic as tourists they will tell others about its beauty and will urge people to keep it as it is

Antarctic is amazing! We need to keep it as it is, there’s nowhere else on

Earth like it

Positive Negative

Environmental impacts kept to minimum nothing is left their or taken from it

Tourists will educate others

Only 100 people at one time, so controlled access

People will cause pollution of noise, disrupting wildlife

The ice caps will be melted by over use

Humans have destroyed everything else on Earth, why should we destroy the one ‘free’ place left?

Wildlife is unique- should be kept that waygay

For developing Against

Tourism makes money

If people visit they will spread the word of how precious it is and they will want to keep it as it is

Minerals can be used to make money

What is the use of leaving it doing nothing?

Leave as it is for everyone

The more people visit the more people will go and cause disruption

Wildlife is disrupted by people and may be extinct if too many people visit

It’s the only place unaffected by humans

Only place where you can here NOTHING- SILENCE!

The Issue-

• You have learnt that Antarctica is a wilderness and that there are lots of ways it could be used in the future.

• There are lots of groups interested in using Antarctica in different ways in the future

We want things left as nature

intended

I think we should learn all we can from the

Antarctic Ice

We need all the fish

we can get!!!!!

Task

• In your group you have 15 minutes to prepare a speech and poster to put forward your opinion of what should happen to the Antarctic in future.

• Your speech should last no longer than 3 minutes and be persuasive

Task• During the

presentations you should fill in your table.

• Circle whether the group presenting are for or against developing the Antarctic

• Fill in 3 arguments highlighted by each group of people

Task• Using the sheet you have been

add to your table explaining whether each interest group is for or against developing Antarctica

• Fill in the 3 reasons on your table to show whether that group thinks developing Antarctica id s good or bad

Should Antarctica be developed?- the decision

• Yes, fully exploited • In parts • No, not at allWhich of the above do you agree with?Why?Write detailed answers in your book

Homework

• Write up an A4 sheet of paper in preparation for an assessment next lesson- you will be allowed that paper and no extra resources in the assessment.

• Use the help sheet that I have given you and the things written in your book from the last 3 lessons.

• Add as much as you can to the paper so that you have it to use in the assessment