The poles represent one of the last great frontiers to civilisation, a vast wilderness rich in resources yet largely untouched by modern human intervention. As future population and energy demand increases the need for access to the Earth’s resources expands. Do the poles represent a future viable and ethical region to exploit? This seminar session seeks to discuss and debate the geopolitical sphere surrounding use and access to polar resources, as well as the potential implications to the natural world. Can we develop the technologies to exploit these reserves in a socially and environmentally acceptable way?