Antarctica Development And Redevelopment

President Bush signed several environmental bills Friday to protect "some of the most precious expanses of America," including parts of Nevada's Mojave Desert, the Great Lakes and the Florida Keys. A day after signing historic clean air legislation, Bush held a second White House ceremony to sign the more modest pieces of legislation, some to protect regional natural resources and others to promote research and education.

Despite a wealth of good intentions, the United States is becoming the slumlord of the South Pole, government officials and scientists lament. The world's most remote human outpost--in the cleanest and coldest environment on Earth--has grown into an overcrowded, overburdened warren of huts, dormitories and laboratories surrounded by almost 80 acres of machinery, spare parts and construction materials stacked on pallets.

Representatives of nine nations signed a document intended to provide environmental guarantees to protect Antarctica from any future mining activities. The Antarctic Minerals Convention, after six years of negotiations, was opened for signing in the New Zealand Parliament by the 35 parties to the 1959 Antarctic treaty. The Soviet Union was among the nine nations signing the treaty, while the United States, Chile, Argentina and Britain have indicated they will do so in a few days.

The United States risks losing an unusual opportunity to assert global leadership in protecting Antarctica, Sen. Albert Gore (D-Tenn.) said Thursday on the eve of an international conference on the future of the frozen continent. Gore spoke at a news conference sponsored by the Alliance for Antarctica, a coalition of environmental groups.

Despite a wealth of good intentions, the United States is becoming the slumlord of the South Pole, government officials and scientists lament. The world's most remote human outpost--in the cleanest and coldest environment on Earth--has grown into an overcrowded, overburdened warren of huts, dormitories and laboratories surrounded by almost 80 acres of machinery, spare parts and construction materials stacked on pallets.

President Bush signed several environmental bills Friday to protect "some of the most precious expanses of America," including parts of Nevada's Mojave Desert, the Great Lakes and the Florida Keys. A day after signing historic clean air legislation, Bush held a second White House ceremony to sign the more modest pieces of legislation, some to protect regional natural resources and others to promote research and education.

The United States risks losing an unusual opportunity to assert global leadership in protecting Antarctica, Sen. Albert Gore (D-Tenn.) said Thursday on the eve of an international conference on the future of the frozen continent. Gore spoke at a news conference sponsored by the Alliance for Antarctica, a coalition of environmental groups.

Representatives of nine nations signed a document intended to provide environmental guarantees to protect Antarctica from any future mining activities. The Antarctic Minerals Convention, after six years of negotiations, was opened for signing in the New Zealand Parliament by the 35 parties to the 1959 Antarctic treaty. The Soviet Union was among the nine nations signing the treaty, while the United States, Chile, Argentina and Britain have indicated they will do so in a few days.