Antarctica case study

Question 1

what is antarctica?

Answer 1

a remote continent in the south pole

Question 2

how big is antarctica?

Answer 2

14 million km^2

Question 3

what % of the world fresh water does its ice sheets contain?

Answer 3

70%

Question 4

give 4 reasons why antarctica is so cold and dry?

Answer 4

1. solar radiaiton - low angle of incidence
2. continentality - most land mass isnt near the ocean
3. heat transport - high albedo and cold sea surface cools air
4. high elevation - cooler the higher you get

Question 5

what is the average temp of antarctica?

Answer 5

-49 degrees

Question 6

what is the coldest temperature recorded in antarctica?

Answer 6

-94 degrees

Question 7

how much precipitation does the interior recieve a year?

Answer 7

less than 50mm

Question 8

give 2 ways fishing and whaling is threatening antarctica

Answer 8

1. unsustainble fishing endangering species such as whales
2. overfishing of krill disrupting the ecosystem

Question 9

give 2 ways the exploitation of raw materials is threatening

Answer 9

1. habitat destruction
2. pollution and toxic waste

Question 10

give 2 ways scientific research is threatening

Answer 10

1. pollution from ships +vehicles
2. waste disposal issues

Question 11

give 3 ways climate change is threatening

Answer 11

1. warming 2-3 times faster than the rest of the world
2. albedo effect on rock after ice melting creates a positive feedback loop
3. losing 150 billion tonnes of ice a year (sea level rise)

Question 12

give 2 ways tourism is threatening

Answer 12

1. 73,000 increase in tourists between 1980 and 2020
2. shipping and air pollution

Question 13

what is the zone of antarctic divergence?

Answer 13

the meeting point in which warm and cold water meets

very bio diverse, nutrient rich water

Question 14

what is the antarctic treaty system?

Answer 14

a collection of international agreements which regulate use, protection and management of Antarctica

Question 15

when was the ATS signed and how many signed it originally?

Answer 15

1959 - 12 including UK, USA, USSR

Question 16

give 4 of the core rules of the ATS

Answer 16

1. military activity is banned
2. nuclear and waste dispoal banned
3. countries cannot expand or force terretiorial claims
4. free access and trade of scientific research

Question 17

when was the madrid protocol introduced?

Answer 17

1991

Question 18

what was the main aim of the madrid protocol?

Answer 18

to make antarctica a natural reserve devoted to peace and science

Question 19

give 4 rules of the madrid protocol

Answer 19

1. mining is banned until 2048
2. an environmental impact assessment is required before any activity
   3.waste must be removed
   4.wildlife cannot be disrupted or interferred with

Question 20

what is the convention of conservation of antarctic marine living resources (CCAMLR)?

Answer 20

an organisation established in 1982 protecting the southern oceans ecosystem

Question 21

what and how doees the CCAMLR protect?

Answer 21

krill and important fish by imposing fishing quotas and protected areas

Question 22

give 4 reasons why antarctic governance is positive

Answer 22

1. no conflict since 1961
2. mining prevented
3. adovates for scientific cooperation
4. large wildness preserves

easier to manage than other places due to no economic pressures

Question 23

give 3 reasons why antarctic governance is failing

Answer 23

1. pressure on resources may abandon treaty in future
2. no global police weakens enforcement
3. tourism and fishing is rapidly increasing

Question 24

sentence starters:

Answer 24

“Antarctica represents one of the most successful examples of global governance due to long-term international cooperation.”
“However, its success may be temporary as rising resource scarcity may incentivise treaty withdrawal.”
“The absence of a permanent population reduces political conflict compared to other global commons such as oceans.”

Question 25

what is the international whaling commission?

Answer 25

a convention to ban whaling in the antarctica set up in 1946 | apart from indigenous people

Question 26

give 3 factors before the IWC

Answer 26

1. some whale species declined by 90% 2. polluted water threatened whale species 3. no ownership resulted in overexploitation

Question 27

give 3 drawbacks of the iwc

Answer 27

1. scientific loopholes allowed for continued whaling 2. food security meant some countries still whale 3. pollution still threatens whales

Question 28

give 3 successes of the iwc

Answer 28

1. whale populations recovered 2. commercial whaling largely redued 3. increased international awareness

Question 29

what is an igo?

Answer 29

intergovernmental organisaitons

Question 30

give 3 features of IGOs

Answer 30

1. set legally binding laws and regulations 2. enforce quotas 3. promotes data sharing and cooperation

Question 31

give 2 strengths and weaknesses of IGOs and NGOs

Answer 31

1. enforces rules 2. cooperation ensures global oversight and 1. compliance can vary between members 2. decision making is slow | often cannot penalise non members reducing effectivness

Question 32

what is an NGO?

Answer 32

nongovernmental organisation ran by pressure groups

Question 33

give 3 features of NGOs

Answer 33

1. campaigns to pressure governments 2. conduct independant studies 3. spreads public awareness

Question 34

give 2 strengths and weaknesses of NGOs

Answer 34

1. more flexible with political independance 2. raises awareness pressuring change but 1. lack legal authority so rules cannot be enforced 2. rely on voluntary funding

Question 35

give 2 examples of IGOs

Answer 35

1. IWC 2. ATS

Question 36

give 3 NGOs which operate in Antarctica.

Answer 36

1. WWF 2. Greenpeace 3. ASOC

Question 37

what is ASOC?

Answer 37

Antarctic and southern ocean coalition

Question 38

give 3 things ASOC does

Answer 38

1. advises policy makers 2. Attends Antarctic treaty meetings 3. pressures for stricter govt intervention

Question 39

give 2 pros and cons of asoc

Answer 39

1. helped shape decisions in the ATS 2. increased transparency on govt decisions but 1. has no enforcement power 2. slows progress on protection due to disagreements

Question 40

give 2 pros and cons of green peace

Answer 40

1. led campaigns against mining, contributing to the madrid protocol 2. established a base in 1987 to provide evidence but 1. no enforcement power 2. reliant on volunteers

Question 41

how many tonnes of krill are hunted annually?

Answer 41

150-200k tonnes