32 



If we lose the momentum, it may be years and years before one 

 could actually see all 26 of these parties having ratified the treaty. 

 The impetus, as you know, in international affairs can be pretty 

 rapidly dissipated. 



The Chairman. In your testimony, you indicate that there's an 

 extremely broad array of environmental organizations that support 

 the passage of the bill. 



Do you know of any environmental group that does not support 

 the passage of the legislation? 



Ms. Fuller. This may be a remarkable statement in itself but, 

 Mr. Chairman, I do not know of an environmental organization 

 that is not in support of this legislation. All the environmental 

 community has joined in support of H.R. 3060. 



The Chairman. And have you heard any of them who have sug- 

 gested changes that should be made to 3060 at this point? 



Ms. Fuller. Not at this point. 



The Chairman. Dr. Rutford, from a research perspective, why is 

 it important to preserve the pristine nature of the Antarctic envi- 

 ronment? 



Dr. Rutford. Well I have a problem with the word "pristine," be- 

 cause any time we go there, we've mucked it up a little bit. 



The Chairman. Okay, well that's true. 



Dr. Rutford. The Antarctic has been and continues to be such 

 a unique environment, it has global significance in terms of its im- 

 pact on weather, on climate, on oceans. You know, we detect Ant- 

 arctic bottom water well worth into the Atlantic Basin, and all one 

 has to think about is getting ourselves into a situation where the 

 Antarctic bottom waters are carrying something that far north into 

 the northern hemisphere. 



Some of the research that goes on in Antarctica depends upon 

 the fact that it is a relatively probably one of the cleanest places 

 on the earth where you can conduct research. 



And the Protocol provides a safety net. It says, okay, this is what 

 you're going to have to do. Instead of Rutford, you going to the Ells- 

 worth Mountains and pounding on rock, you're going to have to 

 stop now and tell people what it is you intend to do, what impacts 

 your research in the Ellsworth Mountains are going to have. And 

 then somebody other than me, I mean I may say it's a non-invasive 

 kind of thing, but somebody else besides me is going to look at it. 



And so I just think it's a good bill. I think the Protocols were well 

 written and will help preserve that great laboratory for us. 



The Chairman. I just remembered that I forgot to ask unani- 

 mous consent for your full testimony to be placed in the record, as 

 well, which I will do at this point. And thank both of you for sum- 

 marizing your testimony so that we can do it that way. 



One other final question I'll ask of the others. 



Do you know of anyone in the scientific community who is sug- 

 gesting changes to the bill at this point? 



Dr. Rutford. Absolutely not. As I said, it's a neat bill, it gets the 

 job done, and you have the full support of everybody that I've 

 talked with. 



The Chairman. I thank you. 



Mrs. Morella, questions of this panel? 



