[sugar-n-spice]

All the middle class students who expected to use their money to see "the last wilderness unspoiled by man"

(Original post by NathanM)
This isn't really new news. As others have said, the drilling has been going on for a number of weeks. Greenpeace HAVE been doing something about it - they've been disrupting a lot of Shell petrol stations (both peacefully and by more forceful means)


Gotta love the polar bears

Polar bears are Arctic.

EDIT: but it was OP who made the mistake

[dhr90]

That story is for the Arctic, not Antarctica...

Antarctica has a no drilling treaty, as well as no dumping of waste and no interference by humans.

[Joinedup]

(Original post by Pharmacist 90)
just type up in your search engine/google, ''Obama approves Antarctica drilling'' or something similar and you'd see for yourself,













EDIT: Here is one article among st many to confirm it, read for yourself or look it up more online http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct...WF9WeYfa1nDLJw

But that's the arctic (near north pole), not the antarctic (near south pole)

[Pharmacist 90]

(Original post by Dmon1Unlimited)
I don't want holes in the ice cubes of my glass of dr pepper

Thought people were getting more into (more) renewable sources?

Nope, people are becoming more and more destructive despite these apparent help save the world schemes

[Dukeofwembley]

ooh yipee , means more chance of me getting a job at bp orr shell, cant wait...

[lonelykatana]

(Original post by I have a question)

There are so many bodies that they have become landmarks, climbers use them to figure out how far left they've got to go.
Its amazing how much **** is left there, man has such talent for ruining the world.

Some of the oxygen tanks they've cleaned up recently.


It's such a damn shame they are going to drill in Antartica, along with the vast untouched woodlands of Canada. It's going to ruin what little wilderness there is left on this planet. I am all for people visiting these places, but leave nothing at all! They are there to be enjoyed and marveled at, but why not take your twix rapped home with you and shove it into some other part of the earth thats already been ruined instead of ruining another bit.


I can't help but think 'whats the point' in drilling in these places anyway?
The Oil wont last, we know it wont. Why search for every last drop desperately trying to feed our hungar instead of putting serious money into developing the very real alternatives there are!
But no doubt lessons wont be learnt, for example the miles upon miles of rainfores being ruined for 'environmentally friendly' palm oil.

[Nick100]

(Original post by lukas1051)
It really is the quintessence of opportunistic greed. Accidentally melting the ice sheets and using it as an opportunity to exploit our resources further. There is literally nothing than can stand in the way of oil companies.

I hope I have the opportunity to visit Antarctica before it becomes an industrial wasteland, the same goes for the rainforests.

Nothing would be achieved by moping and letting the resources lie underground forever. Oil companies provide a valuable resource at a low cost; oil is fueling the development of a lot of third world countries right now. Certainly we should switch to nuclear and renewable energy but in the mean time those sources are too expensive for all but first world countries. It's easy to preach about how we must protect some uninhabited wasteland when you live in a rich part of the world.

And Antarctica is gigantic; the actual area that oil companies will be using is relatively small. Aside from a few penguins the continent is mostly devoid of life anyway.

[I have a question]

(Original post by lonelykatana)
There are so many bodies that they have become landmarks, climbers use them to figure out how far left they've got to go.
Its amazing how much **** is left there, man has such talent for ruining the world.

Some of the oxygen tanks they've cleaned up recently.


It's such a damn shame they are going to drill in Antartica, along with the vast untouched woodlands of Canada. It's going to ruin what little wilderness there is left on this planet. I am all for people visiting these places, but leave nothing at all! They are there to be enjoyed and marveled at, but why not take your twix rapped home with you and shove it into some other part of the earth thats already been ruined instead of ruining another bit.


I can't help but think 'whats the point' in drilling in these places anyway?
The Oil wont last, we know it wont. Why search for every last drop desperately trying to feed our hungar instead of putting serious money into developing the very real alternatives there are!
But no doubt lessons wont be learnt, for example the miles upon miles of rainfores being ruined for 'environmentally friendly' palm oil.

Such a shame, it really hurts me. We are so selfish.

I totally agree with you, we are supposedly trying to look for alternatives to oil yet we still are willing to drill, taint and destroy these relatively untouched places, its terrible. What makes it worse is that our governments give out a façade of sustainability and thought for future generations, yet when money gets involved it seems to be thrown out of the window with little regard of eventual repercussions. In regions with much more lenient regulations and less of a "global spotlight", third world and the like, all these huge corporations seemingly just go about their role even more recklessly with even less opposition.

I've focused much more on humanitarian issues, but this is really bringing to light our environmental problems. I must go travelling soon before it's too late, all these beautiful lands may not be there in all there glory in the near-future.

[Inglenook]

I assume that the OP means the Arctic, where debates about drilling for the (potentially substantial) oil & gas resources have been ongoing for years. Particularly now when the melting of the ice allows more access to these resources. It isn't surprising that this is happening since demand for power is not decreasing and there are less discoveries are being made elsewhere. Whilst it is not ideal, at this point viable, sensible and affordable alternatives to fossil fuels have not been found and deployed, and hence there is still a need for exploration and production of new fields until these sustainable technologies are viable. I strongly doubt that the majority of people would be happy to give up their current lifestyles (running water, heating, electricity, cars, public transport, plastics, clothing, shoes, cosmetic/hair/beauty products).

Arctic drilling CAN be done in a way which has minimal impact on the environment. This should be a priority.

Antarctica is protected by an international treaty. See: http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/about_an...pdate_1959.php

"The Environmental Protocol now bans all mineral resource activities in Antarctica (other than scientific research)."
The Environmental Protocol: http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/about_an...l_protocol.php

[flugelr]

It the Arctic they are drilling in, not the Antarctic - that would be illegal under international law.