Te Pāti Māori Co-leader, Ngāti Ruanui and Ngā Rauru uri Debbie Ngarewa-Packer is today celebrating that her Prohibition on Seabed Mining Legislation Amendment Billhas been drawn from Parliament’s biscuit tin, while calling on Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the Labour Party to support the Bill.
Authour: Louella Losinio
The call for a moratorium on deep-sea mining is gaining traction as more countries and jurisdictions throw in their support for the movement.
While the wave of support shows promise, the tide has not yet completely turned. Not until the International Seabed Authority (ISA) considers the call to action as it goes through the second round of its 27th session in Jamaica starting in early July until this month.
This month: The ocean contains minerals needed for clean energy. But how will mining them impact the environment?
Authours: Nick Bainton and Emilka Skrzypek
Plundering the Pacific for its rich natural resources has a long pedigree. Think of the European companies strip-mining Nauru for its phosphate and leaving behind a moonscape.
There are worrying signs history may be about to repeat, as global demand soars for minerals critical to the clean energy transition. This demand is creating pressure to extract more minerals from the sensitive lands and seabeds across the Pacific. Pacific leaders may be attracted by the prospect of royalties and economic development – but there will be a price to pay in environmental damage.
Solomon Islands authorities have expressed caution as they make future approvals for deep sea mining projects in the country, local newspaper Solomon Star reported on Tuesday.
Author: Elizabeth Claire Alberts, Mongabay
Delegates of the International Seabed Authority are currently meeting in Kingston, Jamaica, to negotiate a set of rules that would pave the way for a controversial activity: mining the seabed for coveted minerals like manganese, nickel, copper, cobalt and zinc.
But scientists and conservationists say there are considerable transparency issues at the meetings that are restricting access to key information and hampering interactions between member states and civil society.
Author: Olivia Rosane
Do we really need to put ocean ecosystems at risk in order to transition to a renewable-energy economy? Proponents of deep-sea mining claim that the as-yet-untested practice is the best means of supplying minerals like cobalt, lithium, nickel, copper, vanadium and indium used in electric vehicles, storage batteries and other green technologies.
You can find the full Interventions submitted by the DSCC below.
Available in English.
KINGSTON (IANS)—Negotiations have begun to develop a mining code that, if adopted, could see the largest extractive operation in human history begin in the deep sea.
But as negotiations get underway in week two of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), the chorus of concern surrounding the emerging industry has amplified.
FSM brings moratorium position on deep sea mining to the International Seabed Authority as negotiations have begun to develop a ‘risky’ mining code.