After careful due diligence, the group, which includes investors, scientists, and other marine experts, concluded that polymetallic nodule harvesting offers the world’s inhabitants an immense and powerful decoupling opportunity. Decoupling is a term that Ecomodernists use to describe efficiencies gained through new technologies that allow for growth and development (in this case decarbonization development) at levels that exceed the growth in environmental impacts. Decoupling creates windfall gains for society, which benefits from increased prosperity at reduced environmental costs.
The aim of COMRC is to provide an objective and science-based repository of information for those who are interested in seabed mineral extraction. At the same time, COMRC plans to use its platform to respond to critics of the industry when they supply misinformation or when they omit pertinent information about nodule harvesting. COMRC will offer a measured, logical, and scientific viewpoint with respect to the issues and arguments that NGOs promote.
COMRC is independent of the contractors who are currently researching polymetallic nodule extraction, but the organization’s members hold investments in some of these contractors, giving COMRC a favorable vantage point from which to evaluate contractor strategies and practices.
COMRC strives to maintain objectivity, but like all stakeholders, COMRC has biases. COMRC’s biases are distinguished from those of activists who protest against nodule harvesting in that they are built upon a foundation of careful and thoughtful research and critical thought and are well-aligned with global objectives of increasing society’s standard of living while protecting our ecosystems.
COMRC relies on input from marine scientists, many of whom are members of the International Marine Minerals Society (“IMMS”). IMMS has been studying marine environments and marine minerals for thirty-five years. Its members come from academia, government, and industry. IMMS promotes information gathering and sharing in the field of deep-sea mineral exploration.