8 Stewardship

8.0 Introduction and materials

Unit 8 'Stewardship' refers to our responsibility for taking good care of resources and the environment. Environmental stewardship often evokes a sense of personal responsibility for ensuring our natural resources are sustainably managed for our own quality of life, and for future generations.

8.1 Natural resources

The issues of prospecting, and the future uses of Antarctic resources - both non-living and living - bring an economic element to the care of Antarctica.

8.2 World Heritage islands

World Heritage areas are set aside for the natural and/or cultural values. Antarctica is not is not on the list, but Macquarie, Heard and McDonald islands are.

8.3 Waste management in Antarctica

Students can investigate how waste is managed in Antarctica, and how can Antarctica be used as a model for managing waste in other environments.

8.4 Cleaner energy

Australia's Antarctic stations aim to produce the cleanest power possible, as well as minimise the need for power, and harness forms of power other than fossil fuels.

8.5 Oil spills in the Antarctic

Oil spills affect the entire food web, and spills in polar regions differ from temperate regions. This makes it particularly important to have measures in place to minimise risk and clean up any spills.

8.6 Human impact

Humans in Antarctica affect the environment. Keeping Antarctica as pristine as possible and minimising those effects is an important issue.

8.7 The future

Antarctica is a unique place with conditions that exist nowhere else on the planet; how can we make the most of it without affecting its use to future generations?

8.8 Tourism

There is a great deal of interest and potential for growth around tourism in Antarctica. However, consideration needs to be given to which parts of Antarctica should tourists have access to and how can tourists be educated to have minimal impact.

8.9 Conservation of Mawson's Huts

The Mawson's Huts Historic Site contains the remains of the base established in 1912 at Cape Denison, Commonwealth Bay in Antarctica by Australian geologist and explorer, Douglas Mawson. Efforts to conserve the remaining buildings began in the 1970's but recently the Australian Government provided $1.3 million to undertake significant preservation work on the buildings.