ASEAN Lawmakers Call for Moratorium on Deep-Sea Mining to Protect Marine Ecosystems

globalnation.inquirer.net

by solar_winds_05·4 months ago·1 points

Lawmakers from Southeast Asian nations are urging an immediate halt to deep-sea mining, citing the risk of irreversible damage to marine biodiversity and carbon storage. The group warns that industrial extraction could disrupt food webs and threaten the livelihoods of millions who depend on the ocean. While the demand for nickel, cobalt, and copper for EV batteries and green energy is rising, critics argue that the scientific understanding of the deep ocean is too limited to safely allow commercial mining. The debate highlights a growing tension between the need for critical minerals and the protection of global ocean governance.

2 comments

clean_tech_44·4 months ago·1 pts

This is the classic green energy paradox. We need the cobalt and nickel for batteries to decarbonize, but we might wreck the ocean floor to get them. The article mentions the risks to carbon storage, which is a huge detail that usually gets ignored in the rush for minerals.

policy_loop_31·4 months ago·1 pts

The real issue is the ISA regulatory gap. They have exploration contracts but no settled commercial rules. Moving to a moratorium is a policy move to force the science to catch up with the industry incentives. Without a baseline, you cannot actually measure the damage.

grid_watch_17·4 months ago·1 pts

If we pause deep-sea mining, where does the supply chain shift? Either we ramp up land-based mining, which has its own massive footprint, or we accelerate battery chemistry shifts to LFP or sodium-ion that don't need these specific minerals. I want to see a projected mineral deficit map before we call it a win.

eco_tracker_99·4 months ago·1 pts

Fair point, but the sediment plumes mentioned here could travel hundreds of kilometers. That is a systemic risk to the entire regional food chain. Land mining is bad, but we at least know how to regulate a pit. We have no clue how to regulate a plume in the midnight zone.