Does anyone own Antartica?

[sorgoth]

And would anyone try to stop me if I took it over by force?

[Tricky]

Originally posted by sorgoth
And would anyone try to stop me if I took it over by force?
Maybe the guards at the psychiatric hospital...

[Evolver]

Wait a minute... I've got it somewhere...
Hmm.... The Brooklyn Bridge... some land in southern Florida...
Oh, here it is. The deed to Antarctica. No you can't have it. It's mine.

[HarryKeogh]

FROM encarta.com

Seven nations—Argentina, Australia, Britain, Chile, France, New Zealand, and Norway—claim territory in Antarctica. Other nations, including the United States and Russia, do not acknowledge these claims and make no claims of their own, but reserve rights to claim territory in the future. Since 1961 the continent has been administered under the Antarctic Treaty, an international agreement to preserve the continent for peaceful scientific study

i also found out it's awfully cold down there.

[Jon_in_london]

Originally posted by HarryKeogh
FROM encarta.com

Seven nations—Argentina, Australia, Britain, Chile, France, New Zealand, and Norway—claim territory in Antarctica. Other nations, including the United States and Russia, do not acknowledge these claims and make no claims of their own, but reserve rights to claim territory in the future. Since 1961 the continent has been administered under the Antarctic Treaty, an international agreement to preserve the continent for peaceful scientific study

i also found out it's awfully cold down there.

I also dont recognize any of these claims and indeed claim it all as the sovreign state of Jon_in_SouthPole_istan. I am not a signatory to any namby-pamby lefty enironmental treaties and intend to build lots of casinos, brothels and bars. All powered by big newkyalur power plants from which I will make lots of WMD to disuade invasion from any wannabe-neo-imperialist superpowers (no names mentioned, specially not the US's). Additional revenue will be generated by accpeting newkyeeelar waste and other toxic waste from other countries. National food will be whale stuffed with penguins. I will solve the problem of it being cold by peforming regular small scale nuclear detonations.

[Crossbow]

Originally posted by sorgoth
And would anyone try to stop me if I took it over by force?

Yes.

I am sure that the combined forces of the USA, Russia, Britian, France, Chile, Argentina, and Austrialia (to name a few) will keep you properly entertained if you, or anyone else, were to attempt a hostile takeover of Antartica.

[arcticpenguin]

It's owned by the current residents, including many of my relatives. I still have dual citizenship myself.

[Occasional Chemist]

Originally posted by Crossbow
I am sure that the combined forces of the USA, Russia, Britian, France, Chile, Argentina, and Austrialia (to name a few) will keep you properly entertained if you, or anyone else, were to attempt a hostile takeover of Antartica.

Drat! And I had already gotten the plans to build my giant "laser" down there from Doctor Blues. After it was built, I could call the White House and demand one BILLION dollars, or I would activate the "laser" and thaw the ice, flooding the world's coastlines!

Doctor Blues was very tempermental, though. So I would threaten the world with the awesome destructive power of the Moody Blues!







... Right.

[Crossbow]

Originally posted by arcticpenguin
It's owned by the current residents, including many of my relatives. I still have dual citizenship myself.

Yeah! What he said!

Take a look at their resident sociopath.

[Mr Manifesto]

And guess who the majority owners are? MWaH HAh HAH HA HA HAAAAAAAA!!!!

http://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/contrib/dvv/asthanos.gif

[a_unique_person]

Originally posted by Occasional Chemist


Drat! And I had already gotten the plans to build my giant "laser" down there from Doctor Blues. After it was built, I could call the White House and demand one BILLION dollars, or I would activate the "laser" and thaw the ice, flooding the world's coastlines!

Doctor Blues was very tempermental, though. So I would threaten the world with the awesome destructive power of the Moody Blues!

... Right.

Just going over the costs of the the laser here on my calculator.

Given the need for

Highly skilled scientists and engineers
Transport to the Antarctic
Materials
Accomodation
Construction costs
Supply and Logistics

This will all come to about 1.0 Billion dollars. So your proposal isn't really going to work.

[3-toed-sloth]

Originally posted by a_unique_person


Just going over the costs of the the laser here on my calculator.

Given the need for

Highly skilled scientists and engineers
Transport to the Antarctic
Materials
Accomodation
Construction costs
Supply and Logistics

This will all come to about 1.0 Billion dollars. So your proposal isn't really going to work.


What about using a really big magnifying glass? it would take a while, but it would be cheap

[Dorian Gray]

I am taking over Antarctica.

I'm going to fight them off, and a seven nation army couldn't hold me back.

By the way, if the ice over the North Pole melts, the ocean levels will..........

What is your answer?

[jj]

Henh. The frozen ones own it, of course. :D :D :D :D

[peptoabysmal]

Depends...
Is there any oil in Antartica?

[Larspeart]

"Whale stuffed with penguins"

That killed me!

Anyway, back on topic. I actually wondered why no one ever bothered to claim/rule it in the 1st place. When one thinks about man's penchant for conquest, territory, land/property ownership and then discovers a HUGE friggin' land mass with no indigenous population (okay, the penguins, but they make LOUSY soldiers), lots of resources in the form of oil, gas, gold, etc. . .

It would seem like an open-shut case.

I mean, take Russian. They are broke right now, their country has fallen, but they have a huge (albeit aging) military, much of it geared for cold weather, a large population used to getting sent to awful locales for mining and whatnot (Siberia).

I just don't get why not?

Then, one could argue 'What about the other countries/the UN/treaties/etc?" Well, most countries may like the idea of a free continent for research, but who wants to send an army down there to get it back? Plus, treaties have never meant much in the past, right? How many treaties aren't broken within 50 years?


So, basically, what I have to do is convince the Russians to take over, and somehow get my name thrown into the discussion as a worthy first baron. . .

[Lothian]

[Vague but probably wrong recollection]

A mineral infested part of Antarctica comes free with every Falkland island hence Britian’s keenness to fight the Eponymous war.

[/Vague but probably wrong recollection]

[HarryKeogh]

Originally posted by Larspeart
"Whale stuffed with penguins"

That killed me!

Anyway, back on topic. I actually wondered why no one ever bothered to claim/rule it in the 1st place. When one thinks about man's penchant for conquest, territory, land/property ownership and then discovers a HUGE friggin' land mass with no indigenous population (okay, the penguins, but they make LOUSY soldiers), lots of resources in the form of oil, gas, gold, etc. . .

It would seem like an open-shut case.

I mean, take Russian. They are broke right now, their country has fallen, but they have a huge (albeit aging) military, much of it geared for cold weather, a large population used to getting sent to awful locales for mining and whatnot (Siberia).

I just don't get why not?

Then, one could argue 'What about the other countries/the UN/treaties/etc?" Well, most countries may like the idea of a free continent for research, but who wants to send an army down there to get it back? Plus, treaties have never meant much in the past, right? How many treaties aren't broken within 50 years?


So, basically, what I have to do is convince the Russians to take over, and somehow get my name thrown into the discussion as a worthy first baron. . .

no plant life aside from moss, the only animals are microscopic or are insects and low temps of 126 degree F below zero. i just dont think setting up profitable large scale industrial out posts there is possible. probably a lot more expensive to set up operations there than any possible reward.

[Larspeart]

Well, besides the South Pole Station, I know that the US and Russian both have maintained large bases (they won't call them military) there for decades. McMurdo station, while not huge, is more then just a building and an airfield.

So food/supplies are shipped in. As far as no plant life, eskimo's live without them for months at a time. A strickly meat diet can be done, as long as one is careful to include the liver in their diet to get the proper amounts of vitamin's A and C.

[Ziggurat]

Originally posted by Dorian Gray

By the way, if the ice over the North Pole melts, the ocean levels will..........

What is your answer?

To first order, the ocean level won't rise or fall, since floating ice displaces a mass of water equal to its own weight. But of course, the reality would be more complicated, because you can't ONLY melt the north pole ice cap, you'll inevitably do other stuff as well. For example, melting the ice caps might have a real impact on the salinity of the ocean, which could change currents, which might change climate patterns, which would...

Another issue I don't see addressed very much regarding ocean levels is thermal expansion. If the oceans warm, they will expand, even if you don't add water from melted ice on the south pole.

[sorgoth]

I've thought about it, and the main problem wouldn't be someone trying to stop me (Like any soldiers would go, and even then, Antartica's a pretty big place), but the possibility that I'll just be completely ignored.

[EvilYeti]

Antartica itself is pretty useless, the land mass is buried under a massive ice sheet. The most interesting thing there is probably lake Vostok, a liquid lake far beneath the ice surface. Its likely teeming with all manner of exotic and alien spieces, which could turn out to be worth something.

[Victor Danilchenko]

arcticpenguin,

It's owned by the current residents, including many of my relatives. I still have dual citizenship myself.So your family is bipolar, eh?..

hahahahahaha...

[Mr Manifesto]

Originally posted by HarryKeogh


no plant life aside from moss, the only animals are microscopic or are insects ...

Bollocks (http://www.tamug.edu/labb/Antarctica/Antarctic_Wildlife/Antarctic_Wildlife.htm).

I bet you're one of those people who think deserts are lifeless, too, huh?

[a_unique_person]

Originally posted by Mr Manifesto


Bollocks (http://www.tamug.edu/labb/Antarctica/Antarctic_Wildlife/Antarctic_Wildlife.htm).

I bet you're one of those people who think deserts are lifeless, too, huh?

IIRC, it qualifies as a desert. That is, it gets very little rainfall. GW may mean trouble for the emporer penguins. They don't like snow, and are moving inland to get away from it. (As Antarctica warms, it will get more snow.) But they still have to get to the sea to feed.

[crackmonkey]

Halliburton.

[Mr Manifesto]

Originally posted by a_unique_person


IIRC, it qualifies as a desert. That is, it gets very little rainfall. GW may mean trouble for the emporer penguins. They don't like snow, and are moving inland to get away from it. (As Antarctica warms, it will get more snow.) But they still have to get to the sea to feed.

You are right, Antarctica is indeed a desert- in fact it is the driest continent on Earth. However, it is waaaay too pedantic for me to get rid of the 'too' in my post.