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Abstract
This Information Paper was originally submitted by ASOC to the Antarctic Treaty Meeting of Experts (ATME) on Climate Change from April 5-7, 2010 in Svolvaer, Norway. This was the
first meeting in the Antarctic Treaty System officially devoted to addressing climate change issues in the Antarctic region.
Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties are concerned with maintaining the scientific and environmental integrity of Antarctica, and many of the thirty recommendations made by the ATME focus on logistical matters at national Antarctic bases as well as meeting the needs of scientists to conduct climate change research.
The thirty recommendations were discussed in depth at the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings (ATCM) from May 3-14, 2010 in Punta del Este, Uruguay and were strongly supported
by the Consultative Parties. The ATCM and its Committee on Environmental Protection decided to make climate change an official agenda item for upcoming annual meetings, and to send the SCAR ACCE Report to the UNFCC and IPCC chairs.
While the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties work on protecting elements of the Antarctic environment from climate changes as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the Antarctic region, Antarctic scientists and policy makers are also concerned about the impacts of a warming
Antarctic on the rest of the world. This paper looks at the uncertain future of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, a large, unstable ice sheet that could raise global mean sea level 3-6 meters.