Much time and money have already been spent on a very remote frontier - space - in the hope of finding life and even propagating our species beyond this earth.

But is it not time we focused more on both poles and the deepest oceans right here on our planet ("Going to Antarctica for the cold truth"; March 4)?

These are, perhaps, the last remaining extremes of our world that offer some hope for the future of mankind, especially as the resources that form the basis of our existence start to become scarce.

There is no crystal ball to show what lies ahead for this island city-state of ours, especially when we factor in external forces.

Therefore, more should be done to get us more involved in Antarctica, and perhaps even the Arctic and the oceans.

It may require us to cooperate with some of the larger countries, so that we do not overstretch ourselves, while gaining what we can for the sake of generations to come.

This is especially imperative for our land- and resource-scarce nation.

If push comes to shove, we could be left out in the mad scramble that will eventually come, with climate change raising sea levels and forcing much of mankind over the edge.

A frightening prospect, but one that is very real.

This is why countries around the world are making a play for the very large and inhospitable land mass of Antarctica, with its resources in mind.

But we have to be careful not to overexploit.

That is why there is a need to do the science first, in order to maintain and grow, rather than simply deplete.

Manoraj Rajathurai