For our last topic this semester the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) opened its session in the year 2050. The countries present found that they all mostly wanted to preserve the status quo, though some were interested in lifting the mining ban at least in some limited capacity. Russia also floated the idea of colonizing the Antarctic, as due to its elevation levels it would be safe from the rising sea levels caused by climate change, but the delegate met strong opposition from the other representatives. However the peaceful meeting was thrown into chaos when the news broke:
A set of genetically modified, armed penguins were spotted near an Argentinian research base
Initial reports suggest that the penguins were the result of covert military research by China and Russia, taking place in the basement of the nearby Argentinian base, where they were discovered and set free during a routine inspection by Australia. Their threat level to the ecological balance of the continent and the international order is currently unknown, but speculations are running rampant.
Russia and Argentina deny any involvement (China is absent). The rest of the session focused on finding the best response, with Norway suggesting arming seals (they are the natural predators of Adélie penguins and they killed Osama Bin Laden), Australia suggesting arming emus (they won a war against a country before), New Zealand advocating for biological weapons to make them infertile. Argentina called for the nation(s) responsible for creating these penguins to come forward and share relevant scientific data, in order to assess the threat and prepare an appropriate response. The delegate suggested immunity from repercussions in exchange, and also called for intelligence sharing regarding the situation which is rapidly developing.