A century ago, distance and extreme cold meant that Antarctica was only a place for explorers. Modern technology has changed all that. Now cruise liners with up to a thousand passengers travel through the Antarctic waters. Only in the last decade has the Antarctic tourist trade taken off. In the early 90s about 5,000 tourists a year travelled to Antarctica. Last year, there were more than 28,000 visitors, and if the growth continues at the same rate it could be up to 80,000 by 2010.
Tourists that set foot on Antarctica are concentrated in biologically rich sites, and historic or current sites of human activity. Tourism is focused on sites known for fantastic wildlife and stunning scenery. The impact of these routine tourism operations is not yet well known, though industry claims that there has been no impact from several decades of tourism.
Achieving a balance between tourism and managing the pristine wilderness is worrying environmentalists. They are concerned not just by the rising number of tourists but by the changing nature of Antarctic tourism. Large cruise liners run by global companies are now entering the Antarctic tourist trade, marking the beginning of mass tourism in Antarctica. They also carry huge quantities of heavy oil, one of the worst marine pollutants. “The effects of one liner sinking or running aground would be disastrous,” says an environmentalist. While the environmental impact of fifty tourists turning up at a penguin colony or historic hut may be minimal, 800 to 1,000 is a different story. 【題組】19.What is the author’s attitude toward the impact of Antarctic tourism?
(A) Optimistic.
(B) Apprehensive.
(C) Furious.
(D) Indifferent.
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