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Law Notes International Environmental Law Notes

The Antarctic Treaty Notes

Updated The Antarctic Treaty Notes

International Environmental Law Notes

International Environmental Law

Approximately 41 pages

Full set of lecture notes for the semester, two lectures per week....

The following is a more accessible plain text extract of the PDF sample above, taken from our International Environmental Law Notes. Due to the challenges of extracting text from PDFs, it will have odd formatting:

29th March 2011: International Environmental Law: Antarctica Background: Most of it from Katherine Redwell's chapter, handed out in class last time. People and Antarctica: * People have been interested in Antarctica for some time. Katherine Redwell points out three periods of interest, and intense rivalry. - Seal hunting - 'Heroic era' (explorers), national pride. Shackletons exploring etc. This is the one that links into the politically intense rivalry, and the beginning of an interest in Antarctia and claims to the territory. - Whaling Intense rivalry - resources, and strategy. Initial explorative interest in Antarctica soon turned into a more strategic resource-oriented exploration. People interested in making use of the resources that Antarctica has to offer. This has been a big issue. People also interested in just the space that Antarctica has to offer - potential as a site for military activities, weapons testing. These sorts of interest started to emerge. Claims: UK, NZ, France, Australia, Norway, Chile, Argentina. Late 1940s, USA and USSR. Originally countries with geographic proximity. 1959 Washington Conference: Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ, Norway, UK, USA, USSR, Belgium, Japan, South Africa. We either see an interest in the territory because you happen to be close to it, or an interest in the resources - whaling countries. Maintaining an interest, keeping a foot in the door. Interest in Antarctica focused around 1959, Antarctic Treaty. ATS - Antarctic Treaty Scheme. 13 nations that were the original signatories (ATPs, Antarctic Treaty Parties) who have staked their claim in this territory. Joined by other parties, ATCPs, not quite the same interest as the ATPs. All about keeping your country's interest in Antarctica recognised. We are dealing with what is a unique and special environment. Antarctica's Environment: - Isn't all ice, some parts very icy. - Variable territory. - Fresh water and saline water. - Coldest, dryest, windiest, highest place. Most challenging environement as far as living is concerned. What does live there is incredibly specialised to that environment. - For this reason there is a special interest in preserving. Part of it is also the pristine nature of it. Fragility as a product of low species diversity, and a short food chain. There are only three levels, so if you start messing with it it will have severe consequences. E.g. Algae - Krill - Whales.

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