Eco Tourism: Some hand wrining on my part.

In the wake of last weeks sinking of MV Explorer, I've taken a look at some numbers:

Antarctica is one of holy grails of eco tourism. The pressure is immense. In 1992, 6750 people visited Antarctica, last year that number was 37,000. It is one of the most fragile habitats in the world.

Most folks who visit exotic locals, are true believers in eco causes. More tourism equals more environmental risk. Few have spoken of the hazards that went down with MV Explorer.

Via the AP: "Under the environmental protocol of the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat, the whole of Antarctica is supposed to be a reserve," said Jim Barnes, executive director of The Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition. "It's supposed to be dedicated to science and to protect the wilderness and the environment."

An individual will spend around $10,000 to make the round trip to Antarctica from the US, including air fare.

I'm not a true environmentalist, although like most my arms are halfway around the tree. We do need to take a look at what we are doing.

More on Antarctic tourism from Google News, here.