ABSTRACT
The Arctic is a region of vast natural resources and a relatively clean environment compared with most areas of the world. For better or for worse, it is often compared to its southern counterpart, the Antarctic. Both do have extreme climatic conditions, receiving less radiation from the sun than other parts of the globe, and the ecosystems have had to adapt to very cold and dark environments with short and intense growing seasons. In such conditions, the ecosystems are simple, containing only a few key species, and are thus more vulnerable to human-induced pollution than those of more temperate areas. The comparison between the circumpolar areas may, however, be misconceived given that the two poles show more differences than similarities: the Arctic consists of ocean surrounded by continents, whereas the Antarctic is a continent surrounded by ocean; the Antarctic has no permanent human habitation, while the Arctic is inhabited by indigenous peoples and other local communities, 1 and the sovereignty is effectively frozen in the Antarctic whereas muchof the Arctic is under the sovereignty of eight states (see Koivurova, 2005; Rothwell, 1996, for comparison). While the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) provides important checks on the economic development of the region, the Arctic will in alllikelihood face environmental pressures from various economic activities, in particular increased fishing, maritime navigation and hydrocarbon exploitation.
