Probe Into The Politics And Science In The Antarctic Mode

The Antarctica mode refers to the top-level design of the institutions governing Antarctic affairs, including the "Antarctic Treaty" as the main body of the Antarctic Treaty System which was signed in 1959, and institutions according to the settings made. Antarctic Treaty System include:the 1959’s "Antarctic Treaty", the 1964’s "Conservation of Antarctic Fauna and Flora agreed measures", the 1972’s "Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Seals" (CCAS), the 1980’s "Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources’(CCAMLR), the 1988’s "Convention on the Regulation of Antarctic Mineral Resource Activities" (CRAMRA) and the 1991’s "Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty." Among them, the "Antarctic Treaty", enjoying the fame of Antarctica’s "fundamental law", has become the legal basis of the Antarctic affairs management, known as the Antarctic political constitution.Based on the "Antarctic Treaty", the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) has been set up for negotiations and decision-making on Antarctic affairs. ATCM is an international conference held once every year, joined by the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties representatives. Antarctica’s political institutions design "establishes the political and legal status of Antarctica in the form of an international treaty, effectively safeguards the long-term peace and sustainable development in the Antarctic continent and improves the level of international scientific cooperation, and promotes the Antarctic scientific explorations, posing a great significance and far-reaching effect on the development of the world peace and Antarctic science. "So be summarized as Antarctica mode. Antarctic mode was highly praised because of its perfect combination of science and politics, and the peaceful spirit of "putting aside disputes over sovereignty, the peaceful development of the exploration". It also makes the Antarctic mode a typical model for resolving contentious regional issues.Since the 18th century, human has started the Antarctic journey. The early history of human exploration to the Antarctica lasted from mid-18th century to the 20th century, could be divided into four stages:the era of sailing, the heroic age, the era of mechanization and the era of scientific investigation. After generations of arduously heroic adventure, human gradually uncovered the mystery of Antarctica. The Antarctica is an ownerless wasteland, burying countless mineral resources with a frozen cover. Its unique geographical location created its unique scientific value and geopolitical value. For the 20th-century world, the Antarctica is just like a big delicious cake to carve up. In 1908, Britain first announced territorial claims to Antarctica. It was followed by many other countries’territorial claims with the "fan principle," or the "continental shelf principle," or the "Preemption Doctrine". The two super powers of the 20th century, however had thought-provoking attitudes towards the Antarctica territorial claims. The United States and the Soviet Union unlike other countries did not claim to specific zones, and not recognize other’s territorial claims either.The political factors of the Antarctica mode in my article refer to:First of all, the background --- Cold War, including the hegemony contending between the USSR and the USA, the international pattern featured the balance of terror, the Cold War mentality with suspicion and confrontation, the public sentiment calling for peace. Regarding to the analysis of this political element, this article will accomplish it by focusing on the United States’ Antarctic policy analysis, because it is the absolute protagonist of the cold war and the Antarctic institutions’leading designer. The following is the question of Antarctica. Its principal contradictions are:the USSR and the USA, the northern and southern hemispheres, the sovereign and non-sovereign country (ATS Allies and non Allies); the main focus of interest in the dispute included: resource control, geopolitical and regional security, strategic value. Among them, the resource control is the focus of national conflicts; the strategic value remains the main concerns of the Soviet and the USA and other world powers; territorial sovereignty, denuclearization, regional security and environmental protection are the first points of the Antarctic neighboring countries, which is also the reason to explain why the south hemisphere had different attitude from the north hemisphere. This paper selects Argentina and Chile as the representatives of the Middle power to elucidate their contributions to the design and the promotion and the implementation of the Antarctic treaty. Last but not least, I will select India as a challenger to the active Antarctic mode to illuminate the conservatism and the openness of the Antarctic politics. Conservatism shows concretely as follows:the strict qualification examination the interest disparity between the north and the south and so on. Openness shows concretely as follows:The Antarctic treaty system does not remain unchangeable, in reality, it is abundant in flexibility. The Antarctic treaty system absorbs new members positively, enlarging and consolidating the basis of the Antarctic politics. Meanwhile the principle □the common heritage" that India proposed to oppose the active Antarctic politics can extract the last political element---marine politics. In essence Question of Antarctic belongs to the marine politics. We can regard the competition for the Antarctic rights as the competition for the Antarctic maritime rights. In the political history of the ocean, opinions are divided on the property of the ocean. The arguments are focused on whether the ocean is "public" or "private". For centuries,ocean is global public property. It is never under jurisdiction of any nation, just like the public pasture in the middle age somewhat, which were opened to every villagers. However the development of the economy and the transformation and innovation of the technology have changed the function of the ocean. Nowadays, many states in the world enclosed more of it compared to before. With respect to the Antarctica, contradictions are also prominent. Antarctica, a continent owned by all the human beings or a politic district governed by the ATS member states? In order to analyze the issue, this paper will elaborate on the origin of two maritime principles---freedom of the seas and system of the territorial waters, and on the fact that India joined the ATS. The ocean,the Antarctica included, was derelict. The acquisition of maritime rights owes to the stake-holder’s painstaking efforts. In modern times, the maritime law has become more and more meticulous, the subjects of interest more and more, showing that the ocean politics is always undergoing political democratization. I believe that, the Antarctic politics is also experiencing this democratization process. What is said above is my prediction to the development trend of the Antarctic politics.The scientific factors of the Antarctica mode in my article refer to:Firstly, the International Geophysical Year in 1957-1958. Aiming to promote the international scientific cooperation in the Antarctica, the event indeliberately contributed the main opportunity and the scientific spirit for the signing of the "Antarctic Treaty". The scientific investigation stations and the scientific activities in the Antarctica are the substantial presence of all stakeholders, setting the most solid foundation for the speak on the Antarctic affairs of those member states. Secondly, the highest academic institutions of the Antarctica Scientific research--- Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). Besides, the most brilliant scientific element of the Antarctic politics is science diplomacy. Antarctica mode is a combination of science and international politics, "compromise and cooperation, science and common development," the spirit of the Antarctic pattern between countries is the most different from the other features of international politics, they are often full of interests and political considerations of realism, and the Antarctic mode is always science inseparable. Through research expedition, mankind has unveiled the mysterious Antarctica; through research activities during the International Geophysical Year, national governments set aside disputes over sovereignty, carried forward the borderless scientific spirit and signed the "Antarctic Treaty", the originator of the Antarctic mode; through the establishment of the polar research stations on the Antarctica, national governments deepened understanding to the Antarctica, enhanced their substantial presence in the Antarctic, and achieved greater political voice in the Antarctic. On the surface, science is the dominant factor in the Antarctic mode, but in fact power politics and science always go hand in hand.The success of the Antarctic mode leads itself to become a model of problem solving of disputed areas. In the energy crisis era, the Arctic with abundance of resource has become a hot spot of international disputes. So the suggestion that apply the Antarctic mode to resolve the Arctic disputes is rampant. But it is not desirable to carry out a simple, superficial analogy between the Antarctic and the Arctic. In fact, during the Cold War era, the reason that the question of Antarctica could be solved successfully is largely depending on their respective geopolitical value. Take a glance at the world map, we can find that the Arctic is surrounded by the big powers, while the Antarctica the middle power.In modern times, because of its location and earlier exploitation, the Arctic has become the focus of international disputes in the present and for a long period of time. In this article, I will compare different political situation of the Antarctic and the Arctic during the Cold War. Although both of them belong to the polar geography, it is not feasible to copy the Antarctic mode in the Arctic. Because their respective polar politics are diametrically opposite.