Sitting on penguins: The history of Antarctica

Antarctica is a truly unique environment. The world’s coldest, driest, and windiest continent is covered almost entirely by ice, lacks permanent human settlements, and is isolated from the rest of the world by the stormy Southern Ocean. Yet human activities elsewhere have had vast impacts on this environment, from the industrial slaughter of animals to the thinning of the ozone layer to the climate crisis of the 21st century. In turn, Antarctica and the Southern Ocean have influenced world history in many ways – shaping weather and climate, fuelling the expansion of empires, and serving as the catalyst for creative solutions to the challenges of global environmental governance. 

In this unit, you will explore the environmental and human history of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Topics you will explore include how Antarctica has been imagined in myth and fiction; changes in the Antarctic environment over time; the role of non-human actors such as whales and icebergs in world history; the introduction of invasive species to the Southern Ocean islands; geopolitical struggles over control of Antarctica and its resources; and the remarkable importance of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean to global efforts to address climate change.