Source: Eco-Business
Author: Robin Hicks
The deep-sea mining lobby is seeking to use the Russian invasion of the Ukraine to its advantage, while new research finds that there is insufficient science to ensure that mining will not damage deep-sea ecosystems.
Though pro-mining lobbyists claim that low-impact deep-sea mining is possible, scientists argue that there is insufficient research to support this, and that large-scale mining could potentially obliterate entire ecosystems and alter the oxygen-carrying capacity of the ocean.
Duncan Currie, political and legal adviser for the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, a collective of non-governmental organisations campaigning against deep-sea mining, said he objected to TMC “using the war against Ukraine to promote their false narrative.”
Deep sea minerals are not needed for the energy transition, Currie said, referring to a paper that argues that viable alternatives to deep-sea mining are “within reach”, provided that there is more investment in battery technology and recycling, and the environmental, social and governance (ESG) credentials of land-based mining improve.
Read the full article here.