14 



Ms. Claussen. I thought I tried before. Let me try again. 



Mr. Davis. You tried. I just want to make sure I understand it. 



Ms. Claussen. I mean there are in fact a lot of competing 

 claims. We ourselves did not put forward a claim, neither did the 

 Russians. And so that is the landscape here. The way the Protocol 

 deals with it is simply by establishing a cooperative way and in a 

 simple sense, ignoring the claims. And making sure that we just 

 can continue to work in a positive and constructive way, which is 

 exactly the way it has worked. 



We also need to realize that on the one hand, we've got a bunch 

 of countries who have claims, and then we have two that have not, 

 and that balance also works in favor of making sure that the 

 claims issue never really arises, and that people really have in fact 

 the ability to work together. 



Mr. Davis. Thank you. That's all. 



The Chairman. Mrs. Morella? 



Mrs. Morella. I'm very excited about this bill finally coming to 

 the hearing point and I hope a mark-up soon, and I thank the 

 Chairman for so arranging it. 



He has been to Antarctica. I had the good fortune of going there 

 about a year and a half ago, and I see my loyal guide is here, Dave 

 Stonner, who was with me on that trip. 



And so I am an advocate. I feel very strongly about the need for 

 this Protocol, and I know that as leaders, we will get the other five 

 countries to join. 



I was particularly impressed with the waste management that 

 went. I mean, anything that goes in, goes out. The fact that the 

 regulations remove just about all of the waste from Antarctica, it 

 went out. 



I think it taught me something even when I came back in terms 

 of trying to emulate that. 



I realize the need to make sure we don't harass penguins or seals 

 and preserve every species. 



I guess really my only question is one who does also believe that 

 this does strike a balance, Dr. Lane. 



My question would be, if you don't, if we don't have this, aren't 

 these countries, the 26 countries already following the Protocol? 

 And that frankly what we're doing is codifying? Or do we have 

 problems with some countries not doing it? 



Ms. Claussen. I think in large part they are, but the standards 

 that they work by are not always as stringent as our own. And we 

 think that by the ratification process in bringing everybody into 

 this, we will end up by raising the standard some pretty much to 

 the level that we already use ourselves, but where everyone else is 

 on the margins, maybe not quite as good as we. 



So fi-om our point of view, it will actually improve the protection 

 of the environment if we were all to ratify. 



Mrs. Morella. So you feel they are doing it but we do need to 

 have this intact. 



How many countries do have their spots in Antarctica, are rep- 

 resented? I mean maybe they don't all have stations. 



Ms. Claussen. There are 26 countries. 



Mrs. Morella. Twenty-six, there are no others? 



