scientists have put forth their agenda to study the climate change in the region, I can't help but wonder that some in New Delhi may have an eye on the nation's future security.
27 countries have their research stations in Antarctica (the continent with South Pole.) Maitri, the Indian research station on the continent is the second one, first having been abandoned in 1990. We have been there for thirty years! Why is India spending so much money on the coldest place in the world? I suspect not all of it has to do with the love of science.
Antarctica, although not a well explored part of the world, is believed to have oil, gas, coal, iron and gold. Currently, all exploitation of minerals is banned in the region under the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, which will stay in place until 2048, unless the scarcity of minerals jacks the oil prices so high that it becomes economical and lucrative to mine them out of literally anywhere on the planet. I am pretty sure no one is going on war over breaking the Protocol on Environmental ...whatever mumbo-jumbo it was.
With that in mind, we already have twelve countries including US, Russia, UK and Norway.
Interactive Map by iMapBuilder
No comments:
Post a Comment