<
https://theconversation.com/deep-seabed-mining-plans-pit-renewable-energy-demand-against-ocean-life-in-a-largely-unexplored-frontier-193273>
"As companies race to expand renewable energy and the batteries to store it,
finding sufficient amounts of rare earth metals to build the technology is no
easy feat. That’s leading mining companies to take a closer look at a largely
unexplored frontier – the deep ocean seabed.
A wealth of these metals can be found in manganese nodules that look like
cobblestones scattered across wide areas of deep ocean seabed. But the fragile
ecosystems deep in the oceans are little understood, and the mining codes to
sustainably mine these areas are in their infancy.
A fierce debate is now playing out as a Canadian company makes plans to launch
the first commercial deep sea mining operation in the Pacific Ocean.
The Metals Company completed an exploratory project in the Pacific Ocean in
fall 2022. Under a treaty governing the deep sea floor, the international
agency overseeing these areas could be forced to approve provisional mining
there as soon as spring 2023, but several countries and companies are urging a
delay until more research can be done. France and New Zealand have called for a
ban on deep sea mining."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
