Tourists into the Antarctic ice melting culprits

A new study found that the growing popularity of Antarctica "Eco-Tour" exacerbate global warming, and global warming, in turn, prompted the Antarctic ice melting in Antarctica's "Eco-Tour" will undoubtedly become the ringleader of the polar ice melt one of the culprits. Dutch researchers Machiel Lamers at the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research of the commission, under the Antarctic region's growing impact of tourism on the environment have been studied and eventually come to these conclusions.

It is reported that recently, Antarctica has become a popular tourist destination, the world's more than 4 million tourists each year sitting in cruise ship visits to this just in the UK, such as "eco-trip" every year attracted 7,000 British tourists go to Searching. Visitors to the Antarctic ice sheet is mainly to watch as well as the endemic wildlife - penguins.

However, such a large influx of tourists norms gave the Antarctic has brought many problems. Cruise fuel and litter caused alarming pollution; where wild animals are kept getting interference, as on Earth, one of the last of the original landscape, the Antarctic are suffering from man-made ruin and destruction; more than 40,000 people each year, visitors led to large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, the study suggests that the Antarctic tourism industry so that further deterioration of global warming. Mr. Lammers said: "The behavior of tourists not only for the piece of snow-covered land harm, but also in other parts of the world also caused harm."

He said: "Tourism is booming up in the Antarctic a new industry. 20 years ago, to the South Pole only a very few hundreds of tourists, while last winter alone more than 40,000 visitors who come to Fun to tread." Current , a two-week Antarctic cruise costs about £ 3500. Mr. Lammers said the proceeds of Antarctic tourism must take into account the environmental impact. He said: "Although Antarctica's tourism industry has really brought a lot of tour operators who benefit, but the increasing influx has led to an astonishing flow of pollution." He said that with more and more influx of Antarctic Cruise , due to the pursuit of tourists is "faster, more, more stimulating" effect, therefore, the tonnage of these cruise ships are becoming increasingly large, the local environment is facing tremendous pressure. In fact no one can guarantee that all this will have on the right track.

At present the Antarctic is nominally managed by an international association, but no one really responsible for this piece of land, it has not promulgated policy on the ground to regulate the tourism industry. International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators has implemented a strict bio-security protocols to prevent the intrusion of seeds and insects, to ensure respect for the environment here. However, Mr. Lammers, Antarctica the need for a binding international agreement to limit visitors and allow the number of landing in the Antarctic.

However, the appeal to conduct a limited "Antarctic Treaty" only relates to 28 countries, it is also need to be further strengthened. He said, "let many visitors landed at the same time consistent with tour operators in their own interests, because no one is to look at other six Antarctic tourist ship. Now is the time to clear rules and ambiguous agreement has not play a role."

The Daily Telegraph.