A coalition of environmental groups is calling on participants to a Chilean conference on Antarctica to designate the continent as a world marine park . The environmentalists claim that Antarctica is being threatened by air pollution , tourist ships , threatened by mining and damaged by more than 76 scientific projects now underway on the continent . Tucker Scully , lead US negotiator for Antarctic rights , disagreed with the hands - off approach to the continent , calling it sticking one 's head in the sand . There is speculation that the Interior Department may urge President Bush to veto pending congressional legislation calling for the preservation of Antarctica
A coalition of environmental groups is calling on participants to a Chilean conference on Antarctica to designate the continent as a world science park. The environmentalists claim that Antarctica is being marred by air pollution, tourist ships, threatened by mining and damaged by more than 76 scientific projects now underway on the continent. Tucker Scully, lead U.S. negotiator for Antarctic issues, disagreed with the hands-off approach to the continent, calling it sticking one's head in the sand. There is speculation that the Interior Department may urge President Bush to veto pending congressional legislation calling for the preservation of Antarctica