Antarctica: Wilderness At Risk

The non fiction book "Antarctica: Wilderness at Risk" written and researched by Barney Brewster gave me insight into the environmental dangers posed to Antarctica. The book explains dangers created by humans that bring damage and risk to the extremely fragile ecosystem of Antarctica and gives interesting information on its history.

I found the history of Antarctic exploration interesting. Antarctic exploration has had many famous names and expeditions associated with people like Amundsen and Scott have shaped the progress of the continent with their brave and famous expeditions. The two most famous expeditions to Antarctica were headed by Amundsen and Scott in a race to the South Pole. Roald Amundsen was an explorer from Norway. Originally Amundsen was most interested in being the first to reach the North Pole but he was deprived of this when the explorer Peary reached it first. Amundsen then turned his attention to the South Pole, a much more difficult and dangerous Pole to reach. Robert Scott meanwhile had already planned and was on his way to the Antarctic. Scott was a British navy captain and had been charged with the exploration of Antarctica. Both Scott and Amundsen had the ambition of being the first to reach the South Pole. Both set off around the start of November 1911 travelling very different routes. Amundsen won the race when he reached the pole on 14th of December 1911 and made a quick return to his Antarctic base reaching it on the 25th January 1912. Scott however had a much tougher time. Unlike Amundsen who had used dog sleds, a tried and proven method of transport over the Antarctic snows, Scott used ponies, mules and men with skis all never tested in an environment such as Antarctica's. The animals and skis were not suited to the conditions and quickly the animals were killed and the skies left behind as the expedition transferred to foot. The progress made on foot was extremely slow and arduous. Because Scott had