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latitude but does not restrict normal freedom of the high seas within that area, The Antarctic Treaty dedicates Antarctica to peaceful purposes only and restricts military activity of any kind, It promotes interna- tional co-operation in scientific research and the exchange of person- ne} and information. The disposal of nuclear waste was prohibited but the use of atomic devices for peaceful scientific research was permit- ted. There was to be freedom of operation anywhere on the continent, which was not to fori the basis of any new territorial claims. No ~ member nation was required to renounce any claims to sovereignty or any rights to previously asserted claims. Existing claims remained status quo, There are elaborate provisions for the exchange of plans, personnel, information and results and for the settlement of possible, disputes and for new nations wishing to join. It was binding on it’s members for a period of thirty years. New Treaty? ON JuNE 2ND 1988, AFTER SIX YEARS OF NEGOTIA- TIONS between over thirty countries the Convention on the Regula- tion of Antarctic Mineral Activities (C.R.A.M.R.A.) was concluded in Wellington, New Zealand: It proposes an International Minerals Commission, to include the present twenty signatories of the Antarc- tic Treaty, which would identify areas to be opened up for mineral exploration and commercial development. Under CRAMRA, spe- cific applications would be made to a Regulatory Committee for a particular area, This committee would be comprised of representa- lives from the country claiming sovereignty there, from the country sponsoring the application and from other interested parties, pre- sumably the ‘great powers’, At various stages of development an advisory committee would be obliged to make public an environ- mental evaluation report before the application proceeds. Observers from the advisory committee and inspectors from the signatory states would monitor exploration and development activities. In a letter submitted to the U.N. by Malaysia, 19 Third World countries announced their opposition to any agreement on Antarctica which would exclude the rest of the world. World Park Option PERHAPS THE MAJOR ALTERNATIVE TO CRAMRA and the Antarctic Treaty in general is to declare the whole of Antarctica a World Park. The World Park proposed by Greenpeace in the Ant- arctic Declaration would be a sanctuary for both wilderness and wildlife. Antarctica wouldremainazoneof limited scientific activity, with co-operation between scientists of all nations. It would remain azone of peace, free of nuclear and other weapons. All mining activity would be banned, as would colonization other than for purposes of support for scientific research and controlled tourist activity, both limited to prescribed areas. All human activity in Antarctica would be subject to continuous assessment of its impact on the environment. This proposal forms a basis for peaceful international cooperation which could be a model for human activity on all continents of the Earth, providing a legal basis for sovereign nation states to resolve environmental and political problems across national boundaries. In Wellington in 1972 New Zealand called for a moratorium on mineral activities in Antarctica. Three years later in Oslo, Norway, N.Z. proposed a World Park but met with little response from other treaty members. mt rn rrr te tre ep ree te re treaty members. Peter Krygsman NEXUS New Times Nine - 1989 My clairvoyant told me I clairvoy told me have soi sort of e problem have some “ ant AF aAntite sort of entity problem .. At the present time France is engaged in constructing a large airstrip at it’s Dumont d’Urville base. There have been repeated clashes with Greenpeace supporters who have their own baseon Ross Island - last year these escalated into a fully-fledged brawl on the ice. Noted oceanographer Jacques Cousteau and the descendants of Antarctic explorers Scott and Shackleton and many others have all called for the preservation of Earth’s least polluted environment. So far this year there have already been two oil-spills in Antarctica. Between three and seven thousand tourists can be expected to visit Antarctic waters annually. There is also a transient population of several thousand stationed in Antarctica. Japanese fishing boats are already harvesting krill for fertilizer and fish farm food. It’s possible that Antarctica will protect its own interests to some degree by itself excluding humans from the continent - ultraviolet radiation levels caused by the southern hole in the ozone layer make occupation of the area difficult during the long daylight, if not downright dangerous. But it could prove even more disastrous for the wildlife of Antarctica, who face similar health risks to human beings - eye and immune system damage and severe burning. And the effect of increased U.V. on light-sensitive phytoplankton has yet to be established. Any major disruption to these organisms could affect the entire world’s ocean food chain. If we allow it to happen, the destruction of the Antarctic’s fragile ecosystem will result in the loss of what is perhaps the lastopportunity for sustained global stability. Wilderness is the ultimate non-renewable resource on the planet.