Posted on 12/29/2013 9:20:36 PM PST by gooblah
(Reuters) - A kind of rock that often contains diamonds has been found in Antarctica for the first time, hinting at mineral riches in the vast, icy continent where mining is banned.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
I’m betting there’s enough oil and gas there to last 1,000 years and rare earth materials beyond your wildest dreams.
Based on the location of other known diatremes, combined with plate tectonics, I’ve been predicting diamond finds in the Antarctic for 40 years. The highly productive diamond-producing areas of Australia were conjoined with Antarctica before the break-up of Gondwandaland. In fact the diatremes may have been caused by the break-up.
I’m betting there’s enough oil and gas there to last 1,000 years and rare earth materials beyond your wildest dreams.
No doubt. The rub is who controls it and gathers the resources?
Antarctica could see a population boom
What does the Antarctic Treaty say about mining?
There has never been any commercial mining in Antarctica thanks to the Antarctic Treaty which has completely banned mining under the Environmental Protocol. When the original treaty was signed in 1959, mining was not incorporated let alone formally discussed. The mining issue was first raised in 1970 by the UK and New Zealand who had been approached by mineral companies who were interested in exploration in the Southern Ocean.
Between 1982 and 1988 a set of tough environmental protection measures were set out under the Convention on the Regulation of Antarctic Mineral Resource Activities (CRAMRA). Under the convention, mining could take place if all parties agreed that there was no risk to the environment. The aim of the convention was to have a framework in place in the advance of any future mining. In 1989, France and Australia refused to sign the convention, saying that no mining should be allowed to take place in Antarctica - period. CRAMRA never entered into force but helped to provide the framework for the Environmental Protection Protocol. This entered into force in 1998.
Wonder how this situation will change if there's valuable minerals there?
If that is true, then I wonder if the Chinese will try to take it over? They seem to have a bent toward taking over areas with wealth potential.
They have one (used/refurbished) aircraft carrier with little experience in carrier operations. We have 20 aircraft carriers with highly trained crews and aircrews and almost 100 years experience.
We presently have 10 active carriers, not 20. Still a great many more than anybody else.
Why is there such concern about environmental issues in a part oc the world where nothing lives? I can see reasonable protections , but not the outright banning. (At least until China decides it will be profitable to them, and nobody does a thing to stop them)
and eco-nuts who get stuck in record ice and declare it is melting...
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