Key Points
A new report by environmental groups lays out a case for banning deep sea miningand explains why the real solution to humanitys energy crisis might just be sitting in the trash...
Deep sea mining is the pursuit of rare, valuable minerals that lie undisturbed upon the ocean floormetals like nickel, cobalt, lithium, and rare earth elements..
These so-called critical minerals are instrumental in the manufacture of everything from electric vehicle batteries and MRI machines to laptops and disposable vape cartridgesincluding, crucially, much of whats needed to transition away from fossil fuels..
Like deep sea mining, the infrastructure needed to make this a worthwhile path forward will be tremendous, but committing to it means sourcing critical minerals from places nearby, and reducing some waste in the process...
Proctor argues that commonsense measures, implemented broadly and forcefully across society to further the goal of creating a circular economy, including energy transition minerals, will ultimately reduce the need for all forms of extraction, including land and deep-sea mining...
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