1000 Flowers for the Planet - #385 Preserve Antarctica

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #385 Preserve Antarctica

Isn’t it enough that we have already abused our planet to such a degree that we may be close to the point of no return, without including Antarctica? This massive continent to the south of our planet has heretofore been a sanctuary where biodiversity and the environment are mostly protected. It is an amazing place, teaming with life, much of it found nowhere else on earth. Whilst human presence is on the increase there, at this point only scientific research takes place and it remains a demilitarised zone. This may not always be the case. Like cavemen fighting over the latest kill, with the winner being the strongest man with the biggest club, mankind looks like they could destroy the peace and natural beauty of this last frontier, if nations with the biggest clout decide to go in and exploit the area for energy and natural mineral resources.

Global warming is already affecting the area, with ice caps melting at a faster rate than ever before. Flora and fauna are affected as a consequence. This is already having an impact on every human worldwide. If humans start removing mineral deposits, oil and gas, they will undermine the ecological balance and destroy the area. Antarctica is protected under treaties at the moment, but what guarantees do we have that this won’t change in the future?

Why do we do this? Why is everyone blindly going about chasing their record profits, more money, more stuff, more, more, more – taking resources from the planet and poisoning everything in sight? Don’t you realise that nothing is infinite – eventually it will run out. Eventually, when you’ve taken the last drop of oil, used up the last piece of ground, fished the last fish out of the ocean – there won’t be anything left! – Unless we stop this craziness right now. And if we’re too dumb to begin at home, maybe we should begin with Antarctica.