Write an ACE response explaining how “The Last Wilderness Preserve” and “A New Land of Opportunity” agree and disagree on the effect humans have had on climate change in Antarctica. 2nd text in comments People have explored---and in many cases abused---almost every place on Earth. Today it is difficult to find any place without roads, shopping malls, trash, and pollution. Thankfully, some smart leaders have put aside an entire continent, Antarctica, to be kept in its natural beauty. Antarctica remains one of the few places on Earth that has not been majorly changed by people. Any human action that would harm Antarctica is a crime against nature and a threat to our future. In 1959, leaders from twelve countries signed the Antarctic Treaty, which forbids (stops) large human activity in Antarctica. While this provided an important measure of protection, the leaders opened the continent to scientific purposes. But even small teams of scientists can bring harm to this otherwise untouched land. Some scientific journeys may bring many negative effects to Antarctica. Scientists have claimed that Antarctica is useful for studies in many areas, such as astronomy and archaeology. However, astronomers could build telescopes in almost any land. Archaeologists could discover dinosaur bones in places that are not covered with ice. Scientific explorations can be done more easily in other locations, and those in Antarctica threaten the natural landscape of the land. One positive result of the Antarctic Treaty and later agreements has been a series of protections for the natural resources of Antarctica. According to the treaty, it is illegal to hunt or fish for many kinds of animals, mine for minerals, or drill for oil in Antarctica. These laws keep the land safe, however temporarily, from humans’ harmful selfishness. Although these laws may be changed in the future, most countries have cooperated with them so far. This may be because few large mineral or oil deposits have ever been located in Antarctica. However, if any are ever discovered, countries will certainly be quick to begin fighting for them. This is because these natural resources are worth a lot of money. Antarctica is the coldest and windiest continent with the least drinkable water. Few plants can grow and farming is likely impossible. Additionally, Antarctica is surrounded by three oceans and far away from developed land. There is nothing welcoming about Antarctica, and we may think this is nature’s way of keeping humans away. Even though few people have visited Antarctica, humans still have contributed to many problems there. Global warming, a gradual heating of the planet thought to be caused by pollution, has melted much of Antarctica’s ancient ice and may soon lead to greater harm. Humans should leave this land alone to heal without any further damage or abuse.