SCAR Bulletin 201 - 2019 December - Sixty Years of Treaty-Supported Antarctic Science Popular

SCAR Bulletin, No.201, December 2019

Sixty Years of Treaty-Supported Antarctic Science

Summary

Sixty years of research in, from and about Antarctica and the Southern Ocean have delivered extraordinary benefits to humankind. These range from fundamental understanding, such as of the nature of the Universe and the ability of life to exist in subglacial environments, to those with globally significant implications for the future of humankind, such as ozone depletion and the role of the Antarctic cryosphere in sea level variation.

The Treaty Parties have been prescient in their recognition of the societal importance of science, the benefits of open access to scientific results and data, and the extraordinary potential of evidence-based policy for improving the way we live in our world.

The successes of international scientific cooperation in the harshest environment on Earth demonstrate how nations working together can accomplish more than any nation working alone, providing a roadmap for action in an uncertain future.