Urging other countries to follow its lead, Australia began a massive cleanup of its Antarctic research base today. As many as 330,000 tons of waste, the detritus of decades of research and exploration, is strewn over the otherwise pristine environment of Antarctica. The waste includes chemicals, batteries, oils, and building materials. Australia contracted a French company to haul its waste back home, and has offered to let other nations use any remaining space in the garbage containers to clean up their acts as well.
