In Antarctica, the impulse to explore clashes with the need to protect
More tourists are flocking to Antarctica than ever before, drawn by a sense of urgency as climate change melts its ice caps. But what happens when we turn the last wild places into destinations?
In this Jan. 22, 2015 file photo, Gentoo penguins gather near a post of wooden arrows with names of cities and their respective distances, at the Bernardo O’Higgins scientific station, Antarctica. Increasing foot traffic poses “particular risks of disturbance or contamination to some of the last remaining essentially pristine areas on the planet,” said Alan Hemmings, an environmental consultant on polar regions. “We should not passively watch Antarctica being turned into a theme park.”
It’s the trip of a lifetime.
A journey to the end of the Earth, where icebergs groan and penguins shuffle.
More tourists are flocking to Antarctica than ever before, drawn by a sense of urgency as climate change melts its ice caps. But what happens when we turn the last wild places into destinations? And what can Antarctica teach us about our role as visitors in a changing world?
From our partners at Deutsche Welle, DW, reporter Charli Shield has the story.
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