The demand for cobalt, nickel, and manganese to make electric car batteries and solar panels is skyrocketing. To collect these minerals, developed countries are now turning to deep-sea mining thousands of feet below the Pacific Ocean.
But environmentalists have called it one of the world’s biggest environmental problems and are fighting hard in international courts to ban it.
Environmental risks and destruction: The ocean floor is the oldest and most intact ecosystem on earth.
Biodiversity destruction: When giant mining robots dig the ocean floor, sponges, corals, and thousands of unknown marine animals will disappear forever.
Carbon Emissions: The ocean floor is the world’s largest carbon sink. Mining will stir up the mud beneath the ocean floor, releasing thousands of years of carbon dioxide back into the water, contributing to global warming.
This attempt to destroy the deep ocean in the name of green energy is extremely suicidal. More emphasis should be placed on battery recycling instead of mining.
