While it is law in all twenty-six countries, each nation would enforce the regulations individually. This is kept in check by the other nations in the treaty applying pressure to the government to punish any transgression. That is why may people view the treaty as an environmental victory. When scientists reported the discovery of oil, coal, gold, zinc, iron, uranium, manganese, and copper, among other minerals, environmental organizations started fighting to establish laws to protect Antarctica early in the 1980's. Discussions about drilling for oil in Antarctica began in the 1970's during that decade's energy crisis. With technology advancement and increases in the price of oil, interest in these deposits will probably become more intense. Signed in 1959, the original Antarctic Treaty banned nuclear testing and military activity in the area. Rules for research were established and Antarctica was declared to be owned by no nation. No one nation can claim all of Antarctica but every inch is claimed some country. You won't find a more environmentally preserved environment than Antarctica. Life grows very slowly at the continual below-zero temperature conditions. Any disturbance of the environment can take years to recover from. Fore example, even a footprint on a moss bed can remain the same for a decade. There is land on Antarctica, but it's hidden under a mile of ice, and the amount of plant life found there is minimal. The ice is made up of 70 percent of the freshwater of the earth. You can find a rich ecosystem containing plenty of marine like and animals around Antarctica. When the first person to reach the South Pole, Roald Amundsen, got there in 1911, he got around the continent with sled dogs. The accord, however, prohibits any dogs on the continent, as penguins and other native fowl have been killed by pets belonging to researchers. The treaty also bans non-sterile soil, pesticides, and polystyrene packaging anywhere in Antarctica. The agreement ended the more than 15 years of diplomatic discussions and lobbying by environmental groups by codifying regulations. Not only was mining and oil exploration prohibited, it also specified that the 35 stations operated in Antarctica would clean up their sites and remove all disposed material. It keeps tourists shops and scientific stations from discharging raw sewage into the surrounding waters. The agreement in question is titled the Environmental Protection Protocol to the Antarctica Treaty. The treaty is basically an agreement made by nations of the world to leave this place free of all industrial and commercial development. The treaty was approved in 1991 by 26 leading nations including the United States, Russia, China, India, Japan, Argentina, Brazil and most major European countries who had interests in the area. Antarctica is a continent with immense mountain peaks and oceans filled with emperor penguins, blue whales, and leopard seals, and it is protected as a wilderness through an international pact. This accord took effect in 1998, and prohibits mining and oil drilling for at least fifty years anywhere within the boundaries of the world's most frigid and pristine ecosystem. Conservation is emphasized over development interests. Any wildlife threats, including dogs and pesticides are also forbidden.
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