|
Press
Statement by Prof Chris Rapley CBE (12/06/06)
Director British Antarctic Survey and member of the Joint
Committee for the International Polar Year 2007-2008
It’s a pleasure to be here in Edinburgh to support
the UK in hosting the 29th Antarctic Treaty Consultative
Meeting. Lord Triesman has already referred to the importance
of the Polar Regions, and has mentioned the International
Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2008 which is due to start on the
1st March next year. I would like to expand a little on
his points and to draw attention to the importance of
the IPY.
I start with an image of our planet, arguably the most
complex object in the universe. Hardly a day goes by without
a media article or programme reporting new evidence of
its declining health. It is well known that the polar
ozone layers have been damaged by industrial chemicals,
especially over the Antarctic. And it is also the case
that the planet globally is suffering from a “fever”
due to our burning of fossil fuels. International action
banning the production of CFCs has addressed the ozone
damage, although a complete recovery will take time. But
we have been much less successful at addressing the fever,
which is set to get worse.
In a system in which all the component parts are highly
interconnected, geographically, physically, chemically,
biologically, economically and socially, the polar regions
are particularly important. One reason for this is because
warming leads to a step change as ice and snow turn to
water. This makes the poles very sensitive. Recent evidence
indicates that regional melting is taking place at a worrying
rate, and faster than we had thought. The consequence
for the future of mean sea level alone justifies the polar
regions as the subject of special scientific attention.
But there is more to these areas than just changing snow
and ice. The creatures and plants that live or visit there
cope with some of the most extreme conditions on the planet,
providing deep insights into biological and evolutionary
adaptation. Polar sediments and ice cores offer a unique
window on the Earth’s history. The polar land masses
provide a platform for astronomy and for the study of
the space environment close to the Earth, especially the
charged particles, which cause the aurora and can disrupt
satellites and power supplies. And polar oceans and atmosphere
are seamlessly linked with the ocean and atmosphere of
the planet as a whole.
It was an Austrian naval officer, Lt Karl Weyprecht who
first recognised the scientific importance and global
relevance of the polar regions. Through his involvement
in the Austro-Hungarian Arctic polar expedition of 1872-4
he saw the need to establish a network of observing stations
that would not only record what was happening, but would
provide the necessary insights into how and why. To do
so required international cooperation, and the setting
aside of national interests in territorial gains. It was
largely through his inspired efforts that the first polar
year of 1881-84 came about.
IPY 1 was sponsored by the International Meteorological
Congress, the forerunner of the World Meteorological Organisation,
and set the precedent for all the internationally coordinated
Earth system science which has taken place since. Eleven
nations took part, establishing 14 stations in all. The
focus was primarily on the Arctic since the Antarctic
remained almost wholly unknown.
IPY 2, in 1932-33 followed a similar pattern, but this
time with the involvement of 44 nations. A key objective
was the study of the newly discovered Jet Stream. Once
again the southern hemisphere received only limited attention.
The efforts overall were constrained by the poor state
of the world economy.
So it was not until the International Geophysical Year
of 1957-1958 that the Antarctic came fully into the limelight.
Originally IPY 3, the IGY rapidly developed into a global
initiative involving 67 nations, 8000 observing stations
and about 80,000 participants. In spite of the political
tensions of the cold war, it fostered a spirit of harmony
and cooperation, such that Antarctic territorial claims
were set aside for the duration. Key scientific successes
included the discovery of the van Allen radiation belts,
and the confirmation of continental drift. A series of
traverses revealed the extent and thickness of the Antarctic
ice cap for the first time.
The IGY heralded the space age and the opening up of
routine human access to the Antarctic continent. It led
directly to the establishment of the Scientific Committee
on Antarctic Research (SCAR) which remains today the means
by which the 28 nations actively involved in Antarctic
research coordinate their efforts. It also was the antecedent
of the Global Change research programmes of the Earth
System Science Partnership (ESSP), which currently coordinates
the activities of some 80 nations.
Geopolitically, the IGY led to the Antarctic Treaty,
and the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings, which
have proved such an extraordinarily successful mechanism
for governing Antarctica and protecting it as a continent
for peace and science.
So 50 years on from the IGY, with the planetary machinery
showing significant stress, and with range of new technologies
available, the polar science community worldwide needed
little persuasion to respond with enthusiasm to the opportunity
of the IPY 2007-2008.
The aim is to characterise the polar regions to an unprecedented
degree, including their social aspects, to illuminate
the changes under way, to identify and understand the
linkages with the rest of the planet, to use them as platforms
for new and exciting science, to explore new scientific
and geographical frontiers, and in particular, to engage
the public worldwide.
To achieve this requires the active support of national
governments and their funding agencies. For this reason
the IPY day to be held on the 19th June as part of the
ATCM will be particularly important, both to inform the
Delegates of the current state of play, but also, hopefully,
to obtain a strong endorsement for national support and
funding.
Before concluding, I would like to underscore the remarkable
and historic role that polar science in general and the
IPYs in particular have had on the conduct and outcomes
of global environmental science. I would also emphasise
the extraordinary fact that the IGY was the crucible out
of which the ATCM emerged.
This is all very positive. However, I have a final observation:
The planet does not recognise the geographic boundary
delimiting the jurisdiction of the ATCM. Since a major
task of the ATCM, through its Committee for Environmental
Protection, is to protect the Antarctic environment from
damage, the interconnected nature of the Earth system
will increasingly present a challenge. The outcomes of
the IPY will provide sound scientific basis to address
this significant issue.
Prof Chris Rapley CBE
Director, British Antarctic Survey
12th June 2006
-
ATCM
-
|
