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Search for Minerals Increases Interest in Deep-Sea Mining

时间:2022-11-14 01:20:10

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The mining industry is pushing to explore more of the world's deep oceans to find metals and minerals used for electric vehicles and other technologies.

But some scientists are worried that deep sea mining will damage the environment and the biological systems important to the atmosphere.

Scientists, lawyers and government officials are meeting until November 11 in Jamaica to discuss the issue. The International Seabed Authority, (ISA), an independent group created by a United Nations treaty, organized the meeting.

The ISA has given 31 exploration licenses2 for deep ocean waters outside of any country's territory. While it has not given any licenses to begin mining, some experts worry it will do so soon before rules are in place.

Experts say the mining would create dirty water, noise, and light that could harm the ecosystem3 in the deep sea. They also note that scientists do not know a lot about the deep sea and need to learn more before making decisions about mining.

Less than one percent of the world's deep ocean waters have been explored. Most of the current exploration activity is in a large region between Hawaii and Mexico.

Mining companies argue that deep sea mining is less costly4 and causes less damage than mining on land.

The International Energy Agency estimated that demand for minerals will increase six times by 2050. A report from Fitch Ratings5 that was released in October said demand will increase because electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies need minerals found in the sea.

Nauru, a small island northeast of Australia, is leading the push for mining. It hopes to financially gain from the mining for minerals that are used in technologies such as electric car batteries.

Need for study and rules

But officials in other countries are worried about the effects of mining and are pushing for new rules.

"We are still very concerned about the consequences," said Elza Moreira Marcelino de Castro, Brazil's representative at the meeting.

French President Emmanuel Macron said earlier this year that he supports a ban on deep sea mining. Germany, which has two exploration contracts, announced on Wednesday that it would not sponsor such mining at this time.

New Zealand, Fiji and Samoa want a ban on the mining until more is known about its possible effects, a move supported by some scientists and legal experts.

The ocean holds more carbon than the Earth's atmosphere, plants and soil, and scientists are finding new kinds of plant and animal life during exploration trips.

Diva Amon is a marine6 biologist. She said studies take months or even years to complete.

"We do not understand what lives there, how they live there, the global function that this ecosystem plays," she said. She added that because minerals grow only one to 10 millimeters every million years, the deep sea is slow to recover from damage.

Other concerns over deep sea mining include how money would be divided and how mining companies would be supervised7.

Countries who have signed the U.N. Convention8 on the Law of the Sea can sponsor private companies seeking exploration licenses. The United States is one of several countries that is not party to the convention.

Pradeep Singh is a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies in Potsdam, Germany. He said there are worries that private mining companies might look for a sponsor country based on reduced tax deals, weak environmental laws and other influences.

Michael Lodge9 is the secretary general of the ISA. He said at the meeting in Jamaica that the agency wants to ensure protection of the marine environment while member countries work on proposed rules.

Words in This Story

license1 –n. official permission to do or carry out an activity

ecosystem –n. everything that exists in and is linked to a particular environment

battery –n. a device that stores electricity and can power machines

consequences –n. (pl.) the results of an action or condition

sponsor –n. a person or group who supports and takes responsibility for another person or group

function –n. a special purpose or activity for which something exists


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1 license B9TzU     
n.执照,许可证,特许;v.许可,特许
参考例句:
  • The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
  • The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。
2 licenses 9d2fccd1fa9364fe38442db17bb0cb15     
n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准,许可,颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句
3 ecosystem Wq4xz     
n.生态系统
参考例句:
  • This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
  • We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。
4 costly 7zXxh     
adj.昂贵的,价值高的,豪华的
参考例句:
  • It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
  • This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用,左不过贵了些。
5 ratings ff3afd5184758fee28f3683303ad728b     
n.等级( rating的名词复数 );收视率;表示电影分级的数字(或字母);(海军)水兵
参考例句:
  • He won high ratings [marks] in all his examinations. 他所有的考试都获得高分。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • The boat was operated by two naval ratings in dress whites. 船由两个穿着白色礼服的水兵驾驶。 来自辞典例句
6 marine 77Izo     
adj.海的;海生的;航海的;海事的;n.水兵
参考例句:
  • Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
  • When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时,他自愿参加了海军陆战队。
7 supervised cec2158311659e4fa817f25aad310c2f     
v.监督,管理( supervise的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The architect supervised the building of the house. 建筑工程师监督房子的施工。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He supervised and trained more than 400 volunteers. 他指导和培训了400多名志愿者。 来自辞典例句
8 convention KYFza     
n.惯例,习俗,常规,会议,大会
参考例句:
  • How many delegates have checked in at the convention?大会已有多少代表报到?
  • He sets at naught every convention of society.他轻视所有的社会习俗。
9 lodge q8nzj     
v.临时住宿,寄宿,寄存,容纳;n.传达室,小旅馆
参考例句:
  • Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚过夜的地方吗?
  • I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在这家小店住两个晚上。

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