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We do not really think much about the frozencontinent at the bottom of the earth, but it is a greatresource for all of us on the planet.

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1 Ninety percent of the

worlds ice is held on thecontinent of Antarctica.

Seventy percent of the

worlds fresh water isheld in that ice.

If we make Antarctica acommercial enterprise,

we risk drawing down

that money in the bankthat we all have for ourmost precious resource:

water.

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2 The Antarctic Treaty, the

one that preventsmineral/oil exploration,

went into effect in 1991 andlasts into 2041.

It makes sure that no onecan build hotels or mineminerals or look forpetroleum.

Ifthe treaty doesnt getextended, various countries

will fight for their claims.Like the war in the FalklandIslands, it will not go wellfor someone.

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3 There is a very fragile eco-system.When the whales were over-fished, it had a cascading

effect. Basically, whale poop feeds the plankton, muchlike fertilizer helps plants.

The krill eat the plankton, the penguins eat the krill,the seals eat the penguins, the whales eat the seals and

the circle of life is complete. Take one thing, such as whales, out of the equation and

the circle of life goes out of balance.

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4 Antarctica is full of newdiscoveries.

The Russians found a huge

lake under one of the iceshelves.

There is also a mountainrange the size of the Alpsunder one of the glaciers.

Unlike the North Pole, whichis total ice and no land,

Antarctica is a real continentabout the size of Australia.

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5 The Western AntarcticPeninsula has warmed2.8 degrees Celsius in thelast 50 years.

That warming led to theloss of the Larson Iceshelf.

The frozen fresh waterwill never come backagain.

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6 Antarctica has no permanentresidents.

It is the one place in the world that isowned by no one and is owned by

everyone. During the summer months (now),

the population based in researchstations is about 4,000. It goes waydown to 1,000 in the winter months.

Before 1900s,no one even lived inAntarctica on a temporary basis. The first research base began in1904.

Tourist ships did not come toAntarctica until the 1960s.

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8 There are really noland animals(penguins and sealsare not land animals)on Antarctica.

The largest landanimal is an insect. Itis the wingless midge,less the half of an inch.

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9 Robert Swan was the firsthuman to walk both poles. Hedid this by age 33.

At that time, there was a large

hole in the ozone layer, and hewas not prepared for it. His eyes changed color due to

the exposure to that open ozonelayer.

He was so overwhelmed by

what he saw with climatechange and the need topreserve the continent that hebegan the group 2041.com tomake sure that the treaty getsextended.

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Thank You

Antarctica is important to everyone. Lets keep it so itbelongs to everyone and no one. It is a moralimperative for our survival.