Perceptions of wilderness and the Antarctic: case studies from the United States

Conservation features of the terrestrial Antarctic Peninsula

“…The Antarctic link generates work and income for gateway city citizens and some people develop connections with Antarctica, sometimes with a sense of custodianship (Roldan 2015 ; Leane et al 2021 ). The global public frequently recognises Antarctica’s wilderness and aesthetic values, its role in driving global climate, and its vulnerability (McLean and Rock 2016 ; Tin et al 2018 ; Nielsen 2019 ). Considering the views of a greater diversity of stakeholders could increase the number of features identified in the Antarctic Peninsula or change the proportion of stakeholders interested in features (the global public, for example, clearly values Antarctica’s ecosystem services).…”

Upscaling DAC Hubs with Wind Energy and CO2 Mineral Storage: Considerations for Large-Scale Carbon Removal from the Atmosphere

“…Kerguelen and other locations in the Southern Ocean region may also represent culturally significant places, even though almost no one will ever visit them in person. Research on public perceptions of Antarctica and surrounding areas has demonstrated that the public tends to view this region as belonging to humankind in general (rather than any one group), and it is perceived as one of the world’s last great wildernesses. − Polar regions have also functioned, in cultural and literary history, as sites for exploration and experimentation, places where humanity can “begin anew”, but it is unclear what that might mean for perceptions of DACCS sites in these areas. Social science scholarship has also shown that people tend to associate Antarctica with the global climate system, and it is possible that such understandings of remote locations may facilitate acceptance of novel concepts like DAC hubs in the region.…”

Public support for Antarctic science: lessons from a national survey of Australians

“…Previous surveys are usefully collected into three overlapping groups: those focused on cohorts within specific nations, those focused on specific populations and those focused on specific aspects of the Antarctic region. The national cohorts surveyed include Chile (Salazar 2013, Estrada-Goic et al 2023), Argentina (del Acebo Ibáñez & Costa 2010, the USA (Hamilton 2008, Hamilton et al 2012, Tin et al 2018, the Netherlands (Tin et al 2011, Bastmeijer & Tin 2015), New Zealand (Colmar Brunton 2011, 2015, Malaysia (Shabudin et al 2016, Goh et al 2019 and Australia (Leane et al 2021). All of these nations are Antarctic Treaty signatories, with four of them (Chile, Argentina, New Zealand and Australia) being territorial claimants and one (the USA) being a 'reserved claimant'.…”

“…Many previous surveys target specific populations based on demographics or role identity, or they are heavily weighted towards one of these categories due to the recruitment methods used. These categories include Antarctic researchers or support workers (Stewart et al 2006, McLean & Rock 2016, secondary or tertiary students (Peden et al 2016, Shabudin et al 2016, Tin et al 2018, 2019, young people (del Acebo Ibáñez & Costa 2010, Tin et al 2011, Bastmeijer & Tin 2015Estrada-Goic et al 2023), people living in cities (del Acebo Ibáñez & Costa 2010, Salazar 2013, Goh et al 2019, Leane et al 2021, Estrada-Goic et al 2023) and cruise tourists (Tin et al 2016). Lastly, the studies varied in the object of their enquiries.…”