The serious angle to this is obviously the potential for (yet) undiscovered natural resources and the struggle to control these.
How should such resources in uninhabited areas be managed?
My own country has made claims in Antarctica and is signatory to the Antarctic Treaty which endeavours to protect the extremely fragile environment that exists in Arctic and Antarctic areas.
But what will happen when (rather that 'if') substantial natural resources such as hydrocarbons are discovered in these fragile areas.  The US was willing to go to war with a country which was no immediate threat in order to get a better handle on the resources  of the middle-east - at great human and financial cost.  If the neo-cons become entrenched in the administration I doubt that a treaty will stop potentially harmful exploration and development. See what happened to ANWR.