Tours to the end of the world before climate change brings about the end of the world have Antarctic tourism booming—it’s grown 10-fold in the last 15 years. But with the sinking of one tourist cruise ship and two others run aground in the last two seasons, the United States says, whoa there, Cap’n Stubing, Antarctica needs tighter regulation.

Speaking at conference for the 50-year-old Antarctic Treaty, Secretary Hillary Clinton called for limits on the number of passengers who disembark: Ships with 500 or more peeps wouldn’t be allowed to land clients at all, while vessels with fewer passengers could land 100 at a time, but only under the strictest supervision.

“The United States is concerned about the safety of the tourists and the suitability of the ships that make the journey south. We have submitted a resolution that would place limits on landings from ships that carry large numbers of tourists,” she said. “We have also proposed new requirements for life boats on tourist ships to make sure they can keep passengers alive until rescue comes. And we urge greater international cooperation to prevent discharges from these ships that will further degrade the environment around Antarctica,” she noted.

Watch her keynote address by clicking on the photo. Or read her remarks here.

Tagged as: antarctica, environment