Andrew Sweetman and his team of researchers from Heriot-Watt University published an article on July 22, 2024, in Nature Geoscience, citing evidence that polymetallic nodules produce oxygen – what Sweetman terms “dark oxygen” – through electrolysis on the seafloor. Sweetman cites the fact that nodules possess high enough voltage potentials to explain this hypothesized electrolysis … Read more
Don’t blame a clown for acting like a clown. Ask yourself why you keep going to the circus. Dan Nielsen John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight show aired an anti-deep sea mining segment in early June, and the industry was understandably upset with its lopsided and misinformed content. The Metals Company tweeted that they had provided … Read more
In a study published in Science Advances, Jessica Junker, Laura Sonter, and their team of researchers conclude that substantial increases in mining for minerals used in clean energy technologies poses a serious threat to the great apes of Africa – one of the most endangered groups of species on the planet. The authors assert that … Read more
March 12, 2024, Representatives Carol Miller (WV) and John Joyce (PA) introduced the Responsible Use of Seafloor Resources Act. We link to the Bill here. H.R. 7636 was written: “To support international governance of seafloor resource exploration and responsible polymetallic nodule collection by allied partners, strengthen domestic processing and refining capabilities, and for other purposes.” … Read more
In a piece entitled, “Sparing the Land by Collecting Minerals at Sea,” ocean scientist Seaver Wang, Co-Director of Climate and Energy at The Breakthrough Institute, makes the case that collecting nodules may be better for the planet than the alternative – mining on land. This, of course, is a theme our regular readers will recognize. … Read more
We recently came across an opinion piece published by an associate environmental policy professor at Franklin and Marshall College entitled, “Reducing carbon emissions can’t come at the expense of our oceans.” The article appeared on The Hill website on 10/15/23, and it argues against extracting polymetallic nodules – mostly on environmental grounds. We have written … Read more
Thirty-one members of Congress sent a letter to Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, requesting that the DoD consider adding polymetallic nodules to the defense stockpile. The letter, dated December 7th, 2023, noted that China has taken a great interest in developing nodule resources in international waters and that the US risks being left further behind … Read more
On the 25th of November Greenpeace activists illegally boarded TMC’s research vessel, MV Coco, while scientists on board were busy at work, conducting research in the Pacific Ocean, and demanded a stop to that research. Link Greenpeace’s move to stop research is not surprising to anyone who pays attention to the tactics of the environmental … Read more
A study by Bryan O’Malley and several co-authors, which was discussed at an industry conference in November of 2023, demonstrated the level of environmental stress to foraminifera from harvesting operations in the CCZ during a harvesting program that ran in the fall of 2022. Link The study examined foraminifera (“forams”) because these small, single-celled creatures … Read more
An article in the Washington Post highlighted the large role that China is playing in the International Seabed Authority to gain access to polymetallic nodules. The country has rights to five licenses and is very influential in moving policy at the ISA. China clearly has a leg up on the US and Europe when it … Read more