The Seventh Continent

First Published in 2011. Part of the resources for the future library collection on Global Environment and Development, this is the final Volume of seven. This book presents a broad-ranging study of Antarctica's history, politics, and development prospects with a command of issues in geography, science policy, technology, and international law, which is addressed with authority and flair. At this time, nations of the world are struggling to fashion a legal framework to govern Antarctic resources, which some regard as the common heritage of mankind. This debate, described vividly here, represents an ongoing application of the common-property resource concept, which has played a prominent role in RFF's research and analytical contributions during the past quarter-century. Furthermore, the continent's energy and minerals endowment-if exploitable at all (and in the author's judgment the prospects for this are dim)-constitute at best resources for the future.