April 04, 2007

Oh, for the love of all that's holy

First it's the Canucks with their plans to militarize Santa's Village and the Island of Misfit Toys, now it's the Aussies and their plans to seize Antarctica:

AUSTRALIA claims almost half of Antarctica but has negligible capacity to fend off an interloper intent on seizing territory or pirating resources.

A paper released today by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) said Antarctica was effectively demilitarised, peaceful and with a ban on mineral resource exploration until 2048.

But attitudes could change quickly, especially as the world runs short of oil.

The report's authors, ASPI research director Dr Anthony Bergin and Antarctic cooperative research centre program leader Dr Marcus Howard, said the 1961 Antarctic Treaty effectively froze out new territorial claims, leaving only Australia and six other countries with Antarctic territory.

Australia has the largest slice - claiming 42 per cent of the Antarctic landmass covering 5.9 million square kilometres.

Dr Bergin and Dr Howard said the Antarctic treaty wasn't universally recognised, but no one actually disputed Australian sovereignty and there were no counter-claims against Australia's, unlike some others.

However, this favourable situation might not endure indefinitely and Australia could not afford to be complacent.

Antarctica possesses vast mineral wealth and substantial offshore oil reserves and there is nothing to stop any nation establishing a presence, then starting prospecting.

For example, it has been suggested Antarctic oil could become viable if dwindling world oil reserves send the price to US$200 a barrel and spark an oil rush among desperate nations.

Illegal fishing is on the rise in Antarctic waters and could eventually become uncontrollable.

In addition, Japan could quit the International Whaling Commission and embark on full-scale commercial whaling.

Dr Bergin and Dr Howard said the status quo was in Australian interests.

“There is enormous value in protecting it, but we can't be complacent that this is easy to sustain,” they said.

“Our territorial claims in Antarctica can't be defended effectively in military terms.

"We don't possess an Antarctic war-fighting capability.”

Dr Bergin and Dr Howard suggested a good first step would be to draft a white paper spelling out Australia's strategic interests and what resources should be devoted to it.

Current spending on Antarctic activities runs to a very modest $100 million a year.

There could also be a senior diplomat designated as ambassador to Antarctica and an office of Antarctic and Southern Ocean affairs within the Department of Foreign Affairs.

To be in the best position to respond to any prospecting proposal from other nations, Australia should at least have an idea what is down there.

A survey of mineral resources could be conducted by Geoscience Australia.

In one resource area, Australia could be onto a winner.

The Antarctic contains 30 per cent of the world's fresh water reserves, which Australia could market to a drought-plagued world through an iceberg harvesting industry.

Again with the seizing of the icebergs.

But to be perfectly honest, I found the article to be disturbingly lacking in blame on the Chimperor or Halliburton.

Posted by Steve-O at April 4, 2007 10:54 PM | TrackBack
Comments

No. Antartica is mine, all mine. It is my home base for my plans to conquer the world.

Posted by: rbj at April 5, 2007 08:59 AM