Metal mining on land versus the ocean in the context of the current Biodiversity Crisis
Verena Tunnicliffe, Luis Enrique Sánchez, Gavin M. Mudd, Diva J. Amon, Lisa A. Levin, Hannah Lily, Eva Ramírez-Llodra, Adam T. Cross
Abstract
As climate change and biodiversity loss intensify, the deep seabed beckons as a source of metals for batteries. Initiating this new exploitation conflicts with international agreements to decelerate biodiversity loss through wider protections of ecosystem integrity. The poor record of terrestrial mining must not be an excuse to mine the ocean floor. Improved oversight and biodiversity protection as miners increase production on land will produce a better global biodiversity outcome.
Topics & Concepts
BiodiversityContext (archaeology)Current (fluid)Environmental scienceBusinessPolitical scienceEnvironmental resource managementNatural resource economicsGeographyOceanographyGeologyEconomicsEcologyBiologyArchaeologyMining and Resource ManagementExtraction and Separation ProcessesRecycling and Waste Management Techniques