{"id":45497,"date":"2021-12-03T16:47:31","date_gmt":"2021-12-03T16:47:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.climatechangenews.com\/?p=45497"},"modified":"2021-12-09T12:28:21","modified_gmt":"2021-12-09T12:28:21","slug":"rush-mine-deep-ocean-environmentalists-worried","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.climatechangenews.com\/2021\/12\/03\/rush-mine-deep-ocean-environmentalists-worried\/","title":{"rendered":"A rush to mine the deep ocean has environmentalists worried"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a large building overlooking the sea in Kingston, Jamaica, national members of a little known international organisation are meeting for contentious talks that could open up the planet\u2019s deep seabed to mining as soon as July 2023. <\/strong><\/p>\n

The ocean floor is rich in mineral deposits, which could provide raw materials to manufacture batteries for electric cars, solar panels and wind turbines. Prospective mining companies see a lucrative opportunity to turbocharge the energy transition.<\/p>\n

Yet the cold, dark and inaccessible deep sea\u00a0is home to a vast array of life, which scientists are just beginning to discover.<\/p>\n

Areas of commercial interest are turning out to be some of \u201cthe most biodiverse places on Earth,\u201d Diva Amon, a marine biologist from Trinidad and Tobago, told Climate Home News, with 70-90% of the species discovered there never seen before.<\/p>\n

Too little is known about the oceans\u2019 deep, its biodiversity and the role it plays in storing carbon to fully understand the impacts the nascent industry will have, Amon said. \u201cWhatever way you look at it, mining is going to be very destructive in the deep ocean. It’s certain to say that this will be irreversible damage.”<\/p>\n

Yet, the International Seabed Authority (ISA), which regulates mining activities in international waters, is convening from Monday to consider a roadmap<\/a> for negotiating extraction rules.<\/p>\n

It is proposing to finalise a mining code<\/a> by July 2023, after being given an ultimatum by the world\u2019s smallest island state Nauru.<\/p>\n

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The headquarters of the International Seabed Authority in Kingston, Jamaica (Photo: James A R McFarlane\/Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Countries have been discussing mining the bottom of the oceans for years. While some exploratory activities are under way, no commercial extraction has started in international waters.<\/p>\n

The reason for the hype is mineral concretions on the sea bottom known as polymetallic nodules<\/a>. About the size of a potato, they are thought to take millions of years to form and are rich in manganese, nickel, cobalt and rare earth metals, key components of batteries for electric vehicles.<\/p>\n

As the energy transition accelerates, demand for critical minerals could increase sixfold by 2040, according to the International Energy Agency<\/a>. Supply is lagging.<\/p>\n

A high concentration of nodules has been found along a geological submarine fracture in the Pacific Ocean known as the Clarion Clipperton Zone<\/a> (CCZ).<\/p>\n

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