| Extremely reminiscent to Antarctica's age of | | | | One of the valuable employees of the station also |
| innocence going on its death and being erected | | | | include a medical corpsman over at a small room |
| into a monument was the presence of a badly | | | | which is able to hold even up to around four |
| gashed orange hull of a cruise liner coming out | | | | dozens of people working over at the compound. |
| from the forlorn icy waves of blue. Penguins | | | | It is not built for the task of handling maritime |
| calmly perch atop the overturned vessel, unaware | | | | catastrophes. The workers from the station |
| of the danger in thin oily sheen on the water | | | | assert that fair weather alone could prevent a |
| around them. Most of the tens of thousands of | | | | disaster from striking. They said most of the |
| gallons of diesel fuel that spilled out of the | | | | sunken cruise ship's lifeboats were open, inflatable |
| shipwreck has since evaporated, but more is | | | | rafts without oars or motors. The day was calm |
| slowly leaking. | | | | and they could be towed ashore by station work |
| Times are quickly changing at the final frontier of | | | | boats without difficulty. Many workers state that |
| Earth. Countries eager to stake or reinforce their | | | | on a positive note, it is a good thing that it did not |
| claims to a slice of the Frozen Continent are | | | | overturn of get blown out to sea with the vile |
| dispatching ships and aircraft, bulldozers and | | | | Antarctic weather, creating more troubles. |
| amphibious trucks. They create new bases and | | | | In response to the diesel spill, the National Science |
| launch scientific research efforts with fanfare | | | | Foundation dispatched navy and civilian pollution |
| throughout their nations. Austral summer time's | | | | control experts with 52 tons of specialized |
| weeks are laden with well heeled tourists coming | | | | equipment. Two million dollars were spent for the |
| in by the hundreds after being carried in vehicles | | | | mission. The navies of Chile and Argentina come in |
| arranged by specialized travel agencies ranging | | | | to undergo clean up missions that are costly. The |
| from military transport planes, supply vessels or | | | | clean up did not suffice for the submerged ship |
| cruise ships. | | | | still had around 63,000 gallons that couldn't possibly |
| The last place on earth, where no passport is | | | | be siphoned or reached, so even as the cleaning |
| needed, welcomes private yachts and skiing | | | | lasted until mid March, there is a huge chance it |
| expeditions. Inevitable accidents abound like the | | | | will keep poisoning life as the wreckage |
| sinking of the cruise ship, making Antarctic wildlife | | | | disintegrates and the chance gets higher if a |
| pay the price as tons of legal, environmental and | | | | winter storm rages in that area. It would be |
| highly political questions come in the way | | | | extremely costly to take the wreckage out, |
| hazardous icebergs abound in the poorly charted | | | | shares experts. |
| waters of Antarctica. The continent of Antarctica | | | | The oil spill is disastrous for the area abounds with |
| belongs to no one so no laws apply to it, as | | | | different animals from penguins, cormorants, |
| stated in the Antarctic Treaty. | | | | Arctic terns, skuas and other types of birds. |
| Twelve nations, back in 1961 went into this treaty | | | | Whales and seals abound through the bay. Based |
| that enabled peaceful research to come into | | | | on the findings of science experts, indirect |
| Antarctica as all these countries in the treaty | | | | evidence links the death of many penguins and |
| waived their territorial claims for at least 30 years. | | | | birds to the oil spill but the extent of the damage |
| While 18 nations have consented to its provisions | | | | has not yet been determined. Researchers from |
| and holds only observer status, eight countries | | | | Argentina, Chile and the United States make up |
| have full voting ability since then. Every two | | | | the special team of 15 to study comprehensively |
| years, these treaty nations meet. A plan was able | | | | the impact of the spill to the environment. Long |
| to be created by the organization and it stipulated | | | | years will be over before it is completed but |
| that strictly regulated exploration and exploitation | | | | there is no sign of a way for damages to be |
| can be achieved, on the mineral resources of the | | | | claimed at all. |
| entire Antarctica. However, they are now | | | | No property rights on the area or around Palmer |
| beginning to struggle with issues on marine and air | | | | Station are held by America and so they do not |
| safety, proliferation of hubs and bases, | | | | have legal grounds to fight for any form of |
| indemnification, medical and rescue facilities as well | | | | compensation on the accident's venue and it is |
| as other concerns. | | | | only Chile, Argentina and Great Britain that can |
| At the time of austral summer, about 30 cruise | | | | claim something as they have rights to the |
| ships headed to Palmer are able to bring in an | | | | Antarctic Peninsula. Come the next Antarctic |
| average of about a 100 voyagers per occasion. | | | | Treaty, Chile will propose an article that will ensure |
| The wild beast that is tourism is often without a | | | | each nation shall have to answer financially to any |
| leash. The Science Foundation did not succeed in | | | | environmental damage and other similar |
| totally deterring tourists from coming in last year, | | | | catastrophes. For the costs on spill and accident |
| who they believe to slow down the research | | | | clean up missions, an agreement on cost sharing |
| operations. Once prominent Americans complained | | | | must be made, along with the organization of an |
| and demanded to be given information how the | | | | international emergency coordinating council and |
| tax dollars they give are spent, the ban was | | | | these are all being planned by the people from the |
| removed. | | | | Science Foundation. |