Ocean Mining: An Impending Doom In The Deep Depth
By Omar Rashid Chowdhury
31 October, 2012
Countercurrents.org
The world has reached an epoch of endless extremities — extremes of scarcity, extremes of want, extremes of resource depletion and extremes of exploitation. As earth is constantly robbed of its now scant resources, the prevailing system searches new ways to spoil. Enterprises to mine deep ocean floors are now at work as known sources of minerals are getting depleted.
Worldwide interest in deep sea mining began since 1980. Geologists recognized very early on that hydrothermal vents were sources of minerals available on land (“Deep-Sea Mining is Coming: Assessing the Potential Impacts”, interview with marine biologist Cindy Lee Van Dover, environment360, March 3, 2011). Basically there are three main classes of deep-sea minerals – manganese nodules, manganese crusts and seafloor massive sulphides (SMS). Nickel, copper, cobalt, lead, zinc, gold, silver and rare-earth elements (REEs) can be found in deposits on the ocean floor and some of these ores are very high graded (Green Economy in a Blue World, UNEP, 2012).
“Deposits commonly known as manganese crusts, cobalt-rich crusts or iron-manganese crusts occur on seamounts and other ocean highs. Their mode of formation favours the absorption of many rare metals in high concentrations. This includes tellurium, cobalt, bismuth, zirconium, niobium, tungsten, molybdenum, platinum, titanium and thorium” ( J.R. Hein, T.A. Conrad and H. Staudigel, “Seamount Mineral Deposits a Source of Rare Metals For High-Technology Industries”, Oceanography, 2010). “The high enrichment values of many of these metals compared to the concentrations mined on land, coupled with their general scarcity, may make them an economic proposition in the deep-sea. Currently these metals are used in the production of super alloys and a number of new and developing technologies such as solar panels and wind turbines, storage cells and batteries and electronic devices” (ibid.).
These new-found minerals are now driving countries into expensive ventures of exploiting the ocean floor. “The Russians have been interested for a long time, and the Chinese have been getting into it since their economic boom. Japan, China, the U.S., Russia and the EU all have big investments in exploration technology, for a multitude of reasons”, said marine biologist Cindy Lee Van Dover in her aforementioned interview.
“Deep-sea exploration and extraction technologies have improved. Until the current global economic slump, rising prices for metals added luster to undersea deposits of gold, copper, and other metals. And the International Seabed Authority (ISA) – tasked under the Law of the Sea Treaty to set up rules governing mining and mining exploration under the sea – is moving to draft regulations governing prospecting and exploration of massive sulfide deposits” (“Mining the ocean floor”, The Christian Science Monitor, May 22, 2009). “Right now nations and mining companies can apply for exploration leases, and down the road they’ll be able to apply for mining leases. And they can choose to mine where they want without thinking about conservation needs”, said Dover.
And, the problem begins here in this area. As usual there has been much sweet talk about environmental management and commercially supported scientific researches. “Deep-sea mining is proposed as a more environmentally sound alternative to terrestrial mining for similar minerals” said the UNEP report. But “[…] no one knows exactly what damage a deep-sea mine would do to the marine ecosystem, experts have no doubt that removing a considerable part of the sea floor would cause a major disturbance” (“Deep-sea mining adds to fears of marine pollution”, The Independent, July 2, 2010).
The extent of environmental damages by deep sea mining is yet unknown. But “[i]t has become clear that once something goes wrong at such a depth – in this case 1,500 metres, or nearly 5,000ft – putting it right is immeasurably more difficult than at the surface. Not only that, but plumes of sediment – which may well be toxic – could have an impact over a much wider area, especially for filter-feeding marine organisms, which are common on the seabed. Such plumes might also block out light, hindering the development of plankton” (ibid.).
Dark depths of the oceans were once thought to be devoid of life, but the discovery of hydrothermal-vents that produce the mineral deposits turned out to be a revelation into a completely unique ecosystem. It is an ecosystem independent of photosynthesis. “It’s the cradle of life on earth,” said Dr Rod Fujita from the Environmental Defense Fund and author of studies looking into deep-sea mining, “and the only one that does not depend on sunlight. There are species there that are found nowhere else on earth” (Tom Levitt, “How deep-sea mining could destroy the 'cradle of life on earth’”, Ecologist, Oct. 28, 2010). In fact, more than 1300 new species have been discovered at the vents since 1977 (“Mining’s Final Frontier”, The Daily Beast, Sept. 20, 2010). With mining rampant on the ocean floor these species can be lost.
“Mining may also affect surrounding organisms through the introduction of invasive species, toxic substances from the deposit, spilt ore and pollutants (such as hydraulic fluid, etc.) and vibration. In addition, mining introduces light into an otherwise dark world, which could potentially interfere with the feeding and reproductive behaviour of organisms.” (Environmental Impact Statement Solwara 1 Project, Nautilus Minerals Niugini Limited, 2008).
Tons of waste produced by the mining process will be pumped to deeper sea beds nearby. The physics of water and the weather and currents also make it difficult to predict or contain any spill that can travel across international waters (Levitt, op. cit.).
“The deep-sea mining technique proposed destroys the physical habitat of the sea floor and associated biota. Deep-sea mining activity at the lift/riser site and also the increase in support vessel traffic could cause some displacement of artisanal or industrial fishing. It is also possible that mining activity could prevent future use of the mining site for bioprospecting, deep-sea tourism, or research science. Mechanical aspects of seafloor mining could result in damage to poorly understood species and habitats. Seafloor Mining could damage future scientific, medicinal, or recreational opportunities in the unique vent ecosystems. The Risers and Lifters could allow chemicals, sediments, or metals to leak from the pipes into the ocean. Mining support activities could result in dumping of mine tailings or waste. Accidental contamination could affect seafood safety and production. Mining support activities could result in dumping of mine tailings or waste. Mining support vessel activity could displace local fishing. Onshore operations, which may include infrastructure development, ore transfer, crew transfer, minerals processing and transport, etc. have the potential to affect local water and air quality, and will result in carbon emissions”, said the UNEP report.
Yet, the luring hands of the lusty system keep on waving. The UNEP report speaks of green energy production and how its future depends on rare metals. “The future of photovoltaics may hinge on the supply of rare metals such as tellurium and in this instance developing states may be able to play a significant role in the greening of global energy production.” Reports speak of monstrous metal deposits. “‘Massive’ is an understatement. One deposit of copper, iron, zinc, gold, and silver sulfides in the Atlantic is, at 600 feet across and 120 feet high, as big as the old Houston Astrodome. In 2009 the Canadian firm Nautilus Minerals, the leading seafloor-mining company, estimated that there are thousands of sulfide systems under the sea, with the potential to yield ‘several billion tons of copper’ alone each year” (“Mining’s Final Frontier”, The Daily Beast, Sept. 20, 2010). And these ‘hopeful’ ‘encouragements’ point to the only possible consequence — exploitation of the ocean floor by commercial enterprises.
“The global economy simply does not need the gold or copper that would be recovered at these deep-sea hydrothermal vents. We know how to recycle and reuse much of the copper already up out of the ground, run through the economy, and discarded in waste dumps. It is a unidirectional waste of resources, energy and money. And we know better” (Levitt, op. cit.).
Yet tall tales of “green energy” that need huge supplies of REEs and other metals are woven. As the ground is depleted of resources, claws of the system reach for new found exploits under oceans. In the process of the exploitation it threatens to pollute and destroy the deep sea ecology resulting catastrophic consequences. It aims for a fast profit and greater fields of investment: under-sea exploration, mining and easy resource exploitation all in the name of “green energy” as a commercial venture. But, green energy can never be achieved as a commercial venture — it is an inherent contradiction. An effective “greening” of energy is nearly impossible as long as the processes to churn out profit are not put to a stop.
These high-flying mining ventures again indicate some basic characteristics and weaknesses of the dominant system. The system is suffering from a lasting crisis of ever-expansion and ever-exploitation. It needs expansion, which is one of its primal urges, but cannot find any space. The shrinkage of space for expansion is also of the system’s own making, and now, has turned into an ever-lasting crisis. It is in dire need of new resources to exploit as it has worn off all that could be used.
In its earlier days, the system extravagantly expended these natural resources, and effectively imbalanced and destroyed the planet’s ecosystem, which inevitably it could not avoid. Now, “green” technologies turn out to be a “brilliant” prospect for revitalizing the system’s much needed expansion enterprises.
These factors have combined to compel the system to go into ocean mining ventures. Capital indeed drives these scientific explorations. If ocean mining turns out to be a “fruitful” venture worth taking risk, it will certainly open a new space to expand for the system. The mining operations themselves will attract capital and then there are these deposits of metallic resources, which can be used in “green” technology. It will be a “feast” for the capital involved! But in the process, ecological destruction and imbalance is inevitable, which will add to the already rampant environmental crisis.
With the present state of technology, ocean mining is almost impossible to work out simultaneously as a profit-making and greening of energy venture. It has potentials to create more chaos and environmental catastrophes that will only intensify the planetary environmental crisis.
(Omar Rashid Chowdhury is a student of Civil Engineering in Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka)
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