Antarctic Exploitation

1) Exploitable resourcesYou claim that there are "many" resources we could get out of Antarctica, yet you only list freshwater in Ice form, which literally was the only thing I said we could get out of Antarctica... But there are other more ethical ways of getting fresh water than melting Antarctica - 1 - Desalination of the oceans is a great way to get fresh water since its much closer to home, much faster, much less controversial, and much less expensive - 2 - Rain Water collection is the easiest way to collect water - 3 - Water rationing is a viable option because if governments ration water it both conserves water for the existing populations and raises awareness about water consumption which could inspire citizens to consume less - 4 - freshwater rivers and lakes if filtered enough could be the quickest way to additional water... We dont need to melt Antarctica for its water to satisfy our water needs since we have much better options that are more ethical, less expensive, and flat out easier.2) World population growthNow its no new fact that the world may have a population growth problem, however you have completely ignored the fact that almost all of this growth is going to occur in developing countries that do not have the financial or technological means of exploiting Antarctica for its water... You yourself even said that ".....current technology would not enable exploitation of any reserves at economic prices"So if modern nations dont even have the means of melting Antarctica for its water sources at an economical rate, then how would third world nations like Sudan, Nigeria, Somalia, and Chad have a chance? As I said before there are much cheaper and effective ways for obtaining water than melting Antarctica...3) Trashing the EnvironmentMy opponent hasnt even acknowledged the environmental impact and disasters that could occur if the ban on Antarctica were lifted. Instead he has argued that the demand for oil is the sole reason we should violate the beauty of Antarctica and start drilling away, but like finding access to water there are other ways to satisfy humanity's demands without trashing Antarctica - 1 - Alternate fuel sources like electric cars or Bio-fuels - 2 - Increase drilling in other areas already open to drilling - 3 - Rely on technology to increase the average MPG of cars - 4 - Increased funding of public transportation to ease the burden on oil resources - 5 - Open up drilling for oil in other environments closer to nations instead of Antarctica which is hundreds of miles away from most of the world. NEW ARGUMENT 4) Rights to drillIf say the ban were lifted and oil companies were allowed to come and make Antarctica the next Saudi Arabia, well which countries would have the actual right to open up drilling operations? Many countries have already made land claims to Antarctica (all of which are not recognized by the world) but if a large oil reserve were found then countries would viciously fight for rights to the oil, which may cause countries to rush to set up operations and sacrifice safety for time. (To make something bold, click the blue link that says "Rich Text" which is right on top of the actual box you type your arguments. After you hit it you highlight the part of your argument you want to put in bold, ten click the "B" button that appears right underneath the "Text" link...)