Could I build a house in Antarctica?

Factual Questions
21

This is your best bet if you really wanted to live in Antarctica. Bring something useful to the research stations, whether it be funding, or just letting them use or stay in your house (or one of your houses).

OTOH, you probably could hire some private contractors and transport from some non-signatory countries that will get you set up on some uninhabited part of the continent. Most likely, no one will really care all that much unless you start damaging the environment. They may care enough to send you a sternly worded letter from time to time, maybe even freeze your bank accounts back home, but not enough to expend the effort required to post an eviction notice on your door.

22

If you bring along some servants and a genetically-engineered lynx, you should be OK.

23

If I may alter the OP just a bit? Forget about food. Let’s assume you rowed a boat to the shores with the greatest, bestest tent and sleeping bag to stave off hypothermia. What if you just show up anywhere on the continent and hunkered down? Sort of like the squatter’s rights mentioned earlier. Assuming you’re not bothering anyone and not doing anything destructive or suspicious, would a country actually spend the time and resources to find you and fly you out? (And yes, I realize they’d probably just wait a few days for you do die anyway)

24

Probably if you were hunting penguins or something they’ll do something about it.

If you are just there, not doing anything, I don’t see anyone caring enough to spend the rather expensive resources to go get you.

People go to Antarctica to climb the mountains and stuff. I suppose you can go camping.

25

From here:

So it appears that there is precedent that if you are there without a permit, one of the treaty countries will go and pull you out, and then charge you for it (or try to).

More on this guy here.

26

Yes. But can anyone who doesn’t want to appear to be impotent actually do NOTHING? What if the O.P. pollutes – sewage, aviation fuel, drills for oil? Commits war crimes? What if someone sends out a distress signal, “He’s crazy, he’ll kill us al – Disregard transmission everything is fine, just fine, make no intrusion attempt – Emperor Baltron decrees it so..”

Its pretty clear, someone has to do something … we started this thread with the “well, no one can do anything.” Then when the SDMB applies its best minds to the task, we realize a coalition has to form, to prevent this from escalating.

Heck. Forget a private home. What keep every tin pot dictator of half-assed military strongman from dropping a settlement there. Or better yet, bankrolling the O.P.'s plan, THEN taking it over and turning it into a North Korean, Zimbabwean, or Belarusian military base.

When Michael Plain went “Pole to Pole”, when his plane finally made it the South Pole, they made it clear, you can land, but you’re not welcome here.

But I’m Michael Palin, you know, fish slapping dance"

You’re not welcome here.

I’m not intruding or invading, I’m just filming.

You’re not welcome here.

OH, I’m so going to mock your attitude in the voice-over on the video tape.

Noted. However, to keep everyone and his cousin from flocking here and doing the same thing as you or worse, let us reiterate – You’re. Not. Welcome. Here.

Really. You think you have more pull than Micheal Palin and BBC/Thames Television?

27

Do you really want to listen to Morgan Freeman rambling on about those birds?

28

Is the whole of the continent covered by the 7 nations? I was always under the impression that it was zoned to the 7 but there were still “free” areas.

29

It’s more like it’s covered by the fact that 53 nations are parties to the treaty, not just the 7 that have made claims. As noted above, the big “free” area is Marie Byrd Land, which would be the US claim if the US exercised their “reserved” right to make a claim. The US would probably do so, if anybody else tried to claim it. I don’t know if Russia’s statements that they make no claims, but reserve their right to do, is tied to any particular area. The only other thing left over on most maps is the tip of Norway’s slice near the South Pole. Apparently, Norway has recently extended their claim (Queen Maud Land) to the South Pole.

30

OK, thanks for the info. Now that you mention the other countries in the treaty I realize the 7 are the ones actually there or with terriitorial claims. I guess I was wondering if there’s any coastline that isn’t claimed. As is pulling ashore with a snowmobile and having a kegger at the south pole.

31

Perhaps if you built a mobile dwelling using something like snowcat tracks and insulated it really well, it might be practical, in the sense that you would not be actually claiming some sort of plat-like thing. To do so, your “millionaire” status would, I think, have to be well into the nine digit range. Just building the mobile dwelling and getting it there would be extraordinarily expensive, but after that you would have to work out your resupply logistics, which will chew on more of your assets. There is really nothing there, so imported resupply is essential, probably including having your waste shipped out.

What happens, though, is that if you succeed, others (a very few, but …) might want to try it as well. So the countries that control Antarctica might be interested in making your enterprise fail, so that the continent is no littered with these mobile homes – because, if someone decides this is not for them, are they going to pay to have their dwelling removed?

The weak link, then, is the supply chain. If the claimants want you to not be there, they will figure out how to throttle your resupply until you either leave or die. If you really want to die there, it seems like you would have a pretty good shot at that.

32

How easy would it be to be smuggled in/illegally enter and create a logistics chain, or just a man-portable “evything I need?” Then create your Evil Lair Under The Antarctica Volcano–how long before Google Satellite or Norad finds you?

33

This kind of goes back to my question about available shoreline. Is there an area I could set up a tent and fish for food? Yes, there would still be the issue of heat, but baby steps people!

34

You’re gonna pay a hell of a tip to the pizza delivery guy.

35

Whether you could pitch a tent and start fishing at a particular spot on the shoreline is not really connected to the question of whether that particular spot is included in any state’s territorial claim. Under international law, the whole of Antarctica is a scientific preserve and a wilderness. Any party to the Antarctic Treaty would have a legal basis for taking action against you.

The most that could be said, perhaps, is that if the spot you pick is included in the territorial claim of Teapotistan, then Teapotistan has the primary responsibility for upholding and enforcing the terms of the Treaty, and is more likely to take action (if only to forestall others doing so). But it by no means follows that if you set up in an unclaimed area you will be left alone. Most likely there will be concerted objection to your presence, if only to forestall the precedent that would be set by allowing any one state to take unilateral action.

Most likely, of course, they start with a denunciation, and wait for you to be starved out. If that didn’t happen fairly quickly, they’d do thinks like interdict your supplies, take action directed against your assets and finances outside Antarctica, that kind of thing. Actually sending in the Marines, so to speak, would be the last option and would almost certainly not be necessary. Nature, after all, would be on their side.

36

Yeah, I was kind of taking it to the extreme. That’s why 2 posts ago I asked if the entire continent was under international jurisdiction. Forget the food and supplies, I’m just wondering if a person set up a tent on some distant shore why anyone would care. But then after a couple other posts I can see why countries would worry about some rogue country establishing a base. Though given the remoteness and logistical difficulties of supplying a threatening base of operations I don’t see any governing body really caring about someone building a house. Seems with satellites it would be easily tracked. And an airstrike would be easier (and probably more satisfying) than rescue if they’re a threat.

Note to NSA: I’m not planning on rowing there.

37

Antarctica is quite a bit larger than the USA. If in fact you had the money to construct a house there, you could do so without anyone noticing. If you were spotted, any number of sports in Antarctica would be so remote it’s likely no one would actively come to evict you, provided you gave them no reason to think you were armed.

38

Didn’t even think about the sports. How the hell would I ever catch a Packer’s game?!? Thanks for yet another reason not to row my boat ashore. (Again, NSA, paying attention? Not going there)

39

More than that, if you want to be self-reliant (and in decent health), you will have to have a greenhouse. Otherwise, it would not be much different from being on a ship. You cannot live on fish alone. Or penguins and albatrosses. You have to have some sort of vegetable/fruit matter in your diet, to avoid scurvy. It very well may be possible to grow your own food in the 4 months of daylight, and preserving it for later would hardly be a challenge. But once you go that route, your profile becomes much taller.

40

That’s why I was avoiding the nutrition aspect of the OP. But now I’m suspecting there will be the SS Doper storming the shores next winter. (Hell, it’s freaking Antarctica fer crissakes, what does it matter when?) I call bartender gig!