Deep-Sea Mining Is Set to Uncover Precious Metals That Could Be Key to an Electric Future, But Are We Ready to Pay the Price?

Written by Rafaela Fabris

Published on 06/10/2024 at 00:36

Como a mineração em alto mar pode revolucionar a busca por metal precioso? (Imagem: Reprodução)

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Discover How Deep-Sea Mining Could Revolutionize The Search For Precious Metal, But At What Environmental Cost?

You won’t believe what is hidden four kilometers below the ocean surface! Deep-sea mining is about to reveal precious metals that may be the key to the future of electrical technologies, but are we ready to pay the environmental price?

In the depths of the Pacific Ocean, specifically in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, between Hawaii and Mexico, there are mysterious potato-shaped polymetallic nodules, rich in precious metals such as manganese, cobalt, nickel, and copper. It is estimated that an area slightly larger than Ireland could yield over 54 million tons of these metals, valued at over 20 billion dollars.

Deep-Sea Mining

These nodules have been studied since 1873, when the HMS Challenger managed to collect samples from the seafloor. However, it is only recently that companies like DeepGreen Metals and The Metals Company have begun to seriously explore the possibility of extracting these resources through deep-sea mining.

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Scientists And Environmentalists Are Concerned

But not everything is good news. Scientists and environmentalists are concerned about the impact of deep-sea mining on deep marine ecosystems, which are poorly understood and may harbor undiscovered species. Studies conducted in the 1980s, such as the DISCOL project conducted by German researchers, showed that areas where mining was tested did not recover even after 33 years, with significantly reduced biodiversity and trails of sediment still visible.

Organisms such as the dumbo octopus (Grimpoteuthis) and marine sponges use these nodules as habitat. “The removal of these nodules could devastate entire ecosystems”, warns marine biologist Dr. Sylvia Earle, known for her advocacy for the oceans.

Mining These Precious Metals On Land Also Has Significant Environmental Impacts

On the other hand, the alternative of mining these precious metals on land also has significant environmental impacts, such as deforestation and carbon emissions. Deep-sea mining could reduce emissions by up to 80% for some metals, due to the efficiency of extraction and transportation. “We are faced with an unprecedented ethical and environmental dilemma”, says researcher Dr. Craig Smith from the University of Hawaii.

We are facing a complex dilemma. We need these precious metals to accelerate the transition to renewable energy and combat the climate crisis, but is it worth risking an unknown ecosystem to save those we already know are in decline?

And what about you, what do you think about deep-sea mining? Is it the solution to our problems or a new environmental challenge? Leave your opinion in the comments!

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10 Comments

most recent

older Most voted

Bruno Lima

#58027

08/10/2024 13:04

Muito mais viável e sustentável que a mineração terrestre. Acredito que com tecnologia e tempo, os impactos da mineração em alto mar podem ser reduzidos!

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Antônio r Rosa

#57652

07/10/2024 20:18

Não tem como parar o ser humano vai se auto destruir isso é inevitável, somos perseguidor de objetivos e nunca vai parar!!!!

Respond

Sílvio Dourado

#57488

07/10/2024 12:40

vão acabar com a carga natural do torus terrestre colhendo isto, vai deixar a terra mais estéril ainda…

Respond

Deep-Sea Mining Is Set to Uncover Precious Metals That Could Be Key to an Electric Future, But Are We Ready to Pay the Price?

Discover How Deep-Sea Mining Could Revolutionize The Search For Precious Metal, But At What Environmental Cost?

Deep-Sea Mining

Scientists And Environmentalists Are Concerned

Mining These Precious Metals On Land Also Has Significant Environmental Impacts

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Deep-Sea Mining Is Set to Uncover Precious Metals That Could Be Key to an Electric Future, But Are We Ready to Pay the Price?

Discover How Deep-Sea Mining Could Revolutionize The Search For Precious Metal, But At What Environmental Cost?

Deep-Sea Mining

Scientists And Environmentalists Are Concerned

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A giant printer called the “Ferrari” of concrete has landed in Latin America and can already build a 120-square-meter house in just 48 hours, making the traditional construction site look like something from the last century.

Brazil will harvest a record crop of up to 357 million tons of grains, but it does not have the capacity to store a large part of it. The storage deficit has reached the highest level in history and is equivalent to almost the entire production of Argentina.

Four times faster than the Concorde, capable of taking passengers from New York to London in less than an hour at Mach 5.5, and with an engine that switches from turbojet to ramjet mid-flight at Mach 3.5, the Hermeus Quarterhorse went from paper to its first flight in just 19 months.

Under nearly 2 kilometers of ice in Antarctica, scientists have discovered an ancient landscape sculpted by rivers up to 60 million years ago, the size of Wales, preserved as a time capsule that could help predict the advance of ice towards the ocean.

She started by collecting oyster shells from restaurants and today she has already accumulated more than 10 tons to restore reefs, recover coastal habitats, and demonstrate how a common waste can become a tool for ocean conservation.

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