WHILE the Arctic gold rush gathers pace, there is a disturbing lack of money for the Antarctic. The British Antarctic Survey, whose scientists discovered the ozone hole, is under threat. The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), which funds it, is proposing to merge it with the National Oceanography Centre.
By itself, this might not necessarily be a bad thing. But there are disturbing rumours that more is going on behind the scenes. The director of the British Antarctic Survey left after NERC announced the plans, and there are fears that the merged institution will be a pale shadow of its predecessors.
Ultimately, it comes down to money. As part of the austerity measures put in place to cut the UK deficit, the government is slashing the science budget. Polar research is expensive, so it is a tempting target. This is profoundly misguided. The Arctic and Antarctic are both changing rapidly as the planet heats up. If Antarctica's ice sheets begin collapsing, shallow coastal regions will be inundated. We need to know what is happening down there. Like the Arctic, it's a matter of vital global importance.
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