Ask any driver of a Tesla and you will find a happy customer. The cars look good, drive incredibly fast quickly, they cost a quarter of the price of petrol to run, and they have a fart cushion feature that makes every kid laugh.

With electric mobility continuing to gather pace especially in urban environments, recycling high-voltage batteries is increasingly under the spotlight. This is where urban miners, and companies that can recycle batteries and parts after a product’s first life is over.

After successfully launching a closed-loop recycling system for the reuse of raw materials from high-voltage batteries thanks to the BMW Brilliance Automotive Joint Venture in China in 2022, BMW has now hit another milestone on its journey to make cleaner, greener electric cars.

This past November, BMW launched a pan-European partnership with SK tes, a company that can mine valuable minerals such as cobalt, nickel and lithium from used batteries before returning them to the value chain to make new batteries.

This closed-loop system is set to expand to the car markets in the US-Mexico-Canada regions as early as 2026.

Its long-term partnership with SK tes sees the BMW Group directly involved in the practical recycling processes, allowing it to feed back valuable insights to the development departments: high-voltage batteries from BMW Group development, production and markets in Europe that are no longer fit for use are to be delivered to SK tes in what is the first step towards an effective and sustainable circular economy for batteries.

SK tes then converts the old batteries into high-quality metals that can be reintroduced to battery production. The latter process sees the batteries mechanically shredded, during which the metals are concentrated to leave a material called black mass.

The valuable materials, namely nickel, lithium and cobalt, are then recovered in a highly effective chemical process called hydrometallurgy. Among other things, these secondary raw materials will be used for the new GEN 6 drive train. Government groups like the Department of Energy are actively funding the development of mineral recovery technologies –– we recently reported on more than $20 million USD going toward funding the recycling of decommissioned wind turbines.

“Partnerships like this increase our efficiency in terms of the circular economy. In the closed-loop process, all partners mutually benefit from their experiences,” says Jörg Lederbauer, Vice President Circular Economy, Spare Parts Supply High Voltage Battery and Electric Powertrain at BMW AG. 

We interviewed Regenx on its business model. And how lucrative upcycling minerals can be as the world looks to dangerous alternatives such as deep sea mining to develop new sources of minerals like lithium which exist waiting to be pulled from existing end-of-life products.

“The promotion of circular economy is an important strategic topic for the BMW Group. The development of recyclable products, the increase of secondary materials in our components, and the closing of loops play an equally important role,” says Nadine Philipp, Vice President Sustainability Supplier Network at BMW AG. “And by the means of circular economy we are also increasing our resilience in the supply chains.”

The BMW Group follows the principles of Re:Think, Re:Duce, Re:Use, and Re:Cycle in the sense of a conservation of resources when it comes to circular economy.

From vehicle design and production to recycling and reuse: everything is geared towards ensuring BMW vehicles become a raw materials source for new cars once they reach the end of their useful life. One such example is the BMW Group’s Recycling and Dismantling Centre.

Over a period of 30 years now, the centre has developed processes and put them into practice, making key progress in parts and materials recycling.

Let’s hope a struggling Volkswagon will learn something from BMW in the face of Chinese cars flooding Europe.

::SK tes

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Maritime law, also known as admiralty law, is a legal field that helps to govern legal issues that may arise in the seas, oceans, or other navigable waters. A maritime lawyer plays a crucial role in handling a wide range of cases relating to shipping, navigation, ocean resources, and maritime industries. This is a specialised branch of law that is particularly useful for nationals with extensive coastlines or significant shipping industries. If you’re looking at maritime legal jobs, read through our article below to find out what a maritime lawyer really does and how to become one. 

What Does A Maritime Lawyer Do? 

Maritime lawyers handle a variety of legal issues related to shipping, offshore activities, and marine resources. Some of their main roles include: 

1. Advising on shipping contracts and regulations

This is a vital part of the shipping industry as all forms of global trade rely on creating contracts between the shipmaster and the company looking to transport their goods. A maritime lawyer’s role is to advise businesses and individuals on the many different laws and regulations related to shipping and marine trade. These laws help to govern everything from the movement of goods across seas to environmental standards. Maritime lawyers will typically help to draft and review shipping contracts, ensuring that they comply with the vast array of international and domestic regulations. 

2. Resolving disputes that arise

Maritime disputes are common in commercial shipping, fishing, and offshore operations. Some disputes include cargo claims, ship damage, collisions, and even pollution incidents. Maritime lawyers may take on shipowners, insurance companies, or injured seamen in cases that involve a dispute and can carry out different roles, including litigation, arbitration, or mediation. 

3. Assisting in personal injury and worker claims

It is well-known that safety is a concern in the shipping industry, and that means that maritime lawyers are often involved in personal injury cases arising from the maritime industry. For example, injuries that might happen on ships, oil rigs, and even on docks would all be the responsibility of a maritime lawyer, should they need one. Seafarers, longshore workers, and offshore oil rig personnel may face hazardous working conditions, and a lawyer’s role is to ensure that they receive appropriate compensation under laws such as the Seafarers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act. 

4. Dealing with environmental regulations

The shipping industry is dealing with a growing focus on environmental conservation, and maritime lawyers have to become well-versed in dealing with cases that may involve pollution and environmental damage. Regulations in this area are changing rapidly meaning lawyers must remain up to date with changing laws and requirements to help protect oceans and marine ecosystems. Some cases that may come up in this line of work include oil spills, illegal dumping, and breaching environmental protection laws. 

How To Become A Maritime Lawyer

If you’re interested in becoming a maritime lawyer, you’ll need to follow a specific educational and professional path. 

Firstly, you’ll need to get your law degree and complete practical legal training to apply the theoretical knowledge you have gained. Once you’ve gained admission as a lawyer to practice law, you can start to specialise in maritime law – i.e., working specifically law firms, shipping companies, or government agencies that specialise in this area. You can also consider pursuing postgraduate studies or joining professional organisations that can help you with your specialisation. 

Conclusion 

Becoming a maritime lawyer requires a sincere amount of dedication and a keen understanding of both national and international laws. With the ability to advise on highly complex shipping regulations, help resolve disputes, and protect the environment, maritime law is a difficult but highly rewarding career path for those interested in a legal profession. 

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Dark oxygen collected from the sea floor

Something dark and metallic-like is pumping out large amounts of oxygen from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, at depths where a lack of sunlight makes photosynthesis impossible, scientists have noticed.

The find has surprised scientists and the source remains a mystery. The oxygen might be generated by metal-rich mineral deposits, some sort of metallic substance or nodules, they claim.

To researchers’ surprise, they measured voltages of up to 0.95 volts across the surface of the nodules. It is possible that the nodules catalyse the splitting of water into oxygen and hydrogen, but more experiments are needed.

The scientists also say this new discovery could change everything about what we know about oxygen itself, and how life as we know it is created.

This challenges what we know about the emergence of life on Earth, researchers say: “When we first got this data, we thought the sensors were faulty, because every study ever done in the deep sea has only seen oxygen being consumed rather than produced,” study lead author Andrew Sweetman, a professor and leader of the seafloor ecology and biogeochemistry research group at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS)

But when the instruments kept showing the same results, Sweetman and his colleagues knew they “were onto something ground-breaking and unthought-of,” he said.

So what does that mean for deep sea mining? Green Prophet has covered many stories and research to shed light on the problems with deep sea mining and what this could do to delicate, deep sea ecosystems.

Dr. Paul Johnston, from Greenpeace’s Science Unit, says, “This study shows that processes are going on in the deep sea and which are associated with these mineral nodules that we are only just becoming aware of. The ecological importance of this process as a source of oxygen in deep-sea environments is not really known but may be highly important.

“We should impose a moratorium on exploiting these systems because we still lack a comprehensive understanding not only of their biodiversity, but also of the complex ecological functions they support.”

Scientists are joining in the call to protect the deep seabed from mining as the International Seabed Authority in Jamaica this week to decide the future of the deep sea mining industry. 

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Norway’s Ministry of Energy has presented a proposal for the announcement of the first licensing round for deep sea mining of seabed minerals on the Norwegian continental shelf for public consultation. The proposal sets out the areas where the companies will be able to apply for exploitation licenses, so that exploration and gathering knowledge about whether there is a basis for sustainable mineral exploitation on the Norwegian shelf can begin.

Deep sea mining is expected to cause irrevocable damage to sea life, deep below the surface.

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Deep sea mining is catastrophic for sea creatures, plants and their surrounding ecosystems. Knowing this Norway has still decided to go ahead with the commercial practice. Swiss-based WWF has decided to sue the Government of Norway through its Norway-based NGO WWF-Norway.

Green Prophet’s editor, biologist and environmental activist Karin Kloosterman says that “Norway of all people should have reverence for the life-sustaining seas around us. Deep sea mining for the extraction of minerals such as lithium for electric cars and batteries ruins the environment, instead of helping it.”

Norway’s modern manufacturing and welfare system rely on a financial reserve produced by exploitation of natural resources, particularly North Sea oil.

In January 2024, Norway approved commercial deep-sea mining following a study commissioned by the government concluding it would have minimal impact, reported Reuters. “We believe that a thorough process has been carried out with broad involvement, and that the applicable requirements have been followed.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is a Swiss-based international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It is currently based in Gland, in the canton of Vaud.

The founders were a diverse group of passionate environmentalists, including Sir Julian Huxley, Max Nicholson, Peter Scott, and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld. They aimed to address the growing threats to wildlife and the environment, emphasizing the need for global conservation efforts.

WWF’s establishment in Switzerland is historically significant. Switzerland’s reputation for neutrality and stability provided an ideal base for an international organization.

Norway’s connection to WWF is also noteworthy. Norwegian environmentalist Thor Heyerdahl, known for his Kon-Tiki expedition, was among the early supporters of WWF. Norway has been active in WWF’s efforts, particularly in marine conservation and sustainable development, which is ironic given its current move to mine the sea.

More on deep sea mining

Deep sea mining for concrete

Deep sea mining and killing the seas so you can drive an electric car

Deep Sea Mining the Next Frontier for Sudan and Saudi Arabia?

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Deep sea miners want to explore faster than science can show how devastating mining for minerals on our last frontier can be.  So science is working to pick up the pace so deep sea mining will not happen without a major shift in policy and research. The latest research to come out is that deep sea mining can harm jellyfish.

Mining of the ocean floor for minerals such as lithium for electric cars could harm deep-sea jellyfish by stressing them out with sediment, suggests the first study of how resource harvesting might affect animals living in the depths. But deep sea mining for concrete is also very problematic says this architect we feature.

Researchers collected helmet jellyfish (Periphylla periphylla) and exposed them to sediment at concentrations that could be churned up by mining. After a day, the animals had mucus covering much of their bodies, among other signs that they were really not happy. Being stressed uses a lot of energy, which could be harmful over extended periods, say the researchers.

The study, co-led by Vanessa Stenvers, a marine ecologist at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel in Germany, analysed deep-sea helmet jellyfish collected from several Norwegian fjords where the animals regularly congregate. In testing tanks on board their research ship, Stenvers and her team exposed 43 jellyfish to five concentrations of sediment representative of what the animals could experience at a mining site, ranging from zero as a control up to 333 milligrams per litre (mg l⁻¹).

At sediment concentrations above 17 mg l⁻¹, the jellyfish showed signs of acute stress. Sediment particles stuck to the animals’ bodies, and they produced excessive amounts of mucus — a common stress response for cnidarians, the phylum to which jellyfish belong.

On average, more than 30% of the animals’ bodies were covered in mucus after being exposed to the two highest sediment concentrations for 24 hours. Producing mucus uses a lot of energy, which could be harmful for the health of jellyfish if they are exposed to sediment over extended periods, say the researchers.

“Food in the deep sea is very scarce. If there’s no extra energy coming in, this could potentially lead to starvation,” says Stenvers.

She and her colleagues also found that jellyfish doubled their respiration rate at the highest sediment concentrations, suggesting that the animals required more energy than they would otherwise need. Jellyfish that produced excessive mucus also overexpressed genes involved in energy metabolism, wound repair and the immune system.

If other gelatinous organisms in the deep ocean respond similarly, commercial harvesting of the sea floor could reduce biodiversity and threaten crucial functions of the ecosystem — such as carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling.

Let’s bookmark this research next time a lobby group springs up to support deep sea mining. 

Keep reading these resources on deep sea mining.

Marine ecosystems in danger: what is deep sea mining?

Deep sea mining and what’s at risk

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The excellent article on Green Prophet: Deep sea mining and killing the seas so you can drive an electric car was timely and extremely relevant. Deep sea mining is not only taking place for minerals and metals, but also for a very basic element found on the sea bed: sand.

One of the most common uses of beach or sea sand in general, is in construction. Sand is one of the ingredients in the production of concrete and other building materials. Concrete is made up of a mixture of water, cement, and aggregate, which is composed of crushed rock, gravel and sand. Sea sand is also used as a raw material in the glass, silicon and ceramic industries and for land restoration. 

The construction industry consumes about 4 billion tons of cement every year and 40 billion tons of sand for construction. The total use of sand worldwide is estimated at 50 billion tons annually. The dredging industry for sand is active in South China Sea, the North Sea and the East Coast of the United States, according to the University of Geneva, with China, the Netherlands, the United States and Belgium being the most active countries in this field. Interestingly enough, although deserts have plenty of sand, the desert sand is unsuitable for construction. Its rounded faces and high dust content, give concrete of very low quality, that does not comply with the industry standards.

Regulating sand mining from the seas

Sand is one of the world’s most consumed natural resource on the planet, after water. But, despite the damage it causes, it is still unregulated. According to the UN the practice is unsustainable and could irreparably affect marine life. Pascal Penducci, director of UNEP’s Global Resources Database, described the marine sand dredging as a “giant vacuum cleaner”, draining the seabed by removing all the micro-organisms that support sea life.

Consider, what the ISS reports: “state developments in Morocco require an estimated 30 million tons of sand every year. Coastal sand along the western seaboard and Mediterranean is increasingly extracted, legally and illegally, by both registered companies and traffickers. The result is a series of lunar-like landscapes along Morocco’s coastline, which damages fragile ecosystems and increases the vulnerability of infrastructure to storms and rising sea levels.”

The ECOWEEK week of lectures, films and design workshops address design and construction practices and promote sustainable design and circular practices primarily among graduate and undergraduate students of architecture and design in 17 countries.

In 2018, ECOWEEK hosted the Today Tomorrow project of EUNIC (European Union National Institutes for Culture) in Tel Aviv. Within this collaboration the film “Sand Wars” was screened. Released in 2013 it is directed by Denis Delestrac.

The film “Sand Wars” tracks the contractors, smugglers and property developers hoarding sand from legal or illegal mining on sea shores and sea bed dredging. It presents the unsuccessful efforts by Municipalities, draining municipal budgets, to replenish seashores with sand. Only to be washed away, due to the voids created by deep sea mining. The film also presents the struggle of local communities to protect their sea shore residences from coastal erosion and damage and the loss of coastal shorelines, caused by sand extraction from the sea and shores.

If electric cars are a luxury – as compared to other modes of sustainable transportation, such as, public buses, light rail, bicycles and walking – mining sand for concrete is essential for construction. Especially, when trying to cope with destruction caused by earthquakes or floods. Building in concrete seems like an inevitable choice for relative resilience. However, the increasing use of concrete, and sand mining, makes cities more vulnerable and destroys ecosystems that support life. Read about this Israeli desert sand dunes being cleared for concrete.

Like in every story, there may be a happy end in this story too: recycled glass. Recycled glass is obtained from recycling old and waste glass. Glass can be recycled endlessly without affecting quality and purity, through crashing, melting and blending with other materials. Unlike desert sand, recycling glass is an acceptable replacement to sea sand for construction.

The recycled glass market is estimated at $1.1B USD. It is low carbon, requires lower energy consumption, lower melting temperature, and less wear and tear on the manufacturing furnace. In terms of volume it is estimated at about 40,000 tons annually.

From grassroots initiatives like the recycling program “Glass Half Full” in Louisiana, to major industries, recycled glass is widely used in the food and beverages, automotive, healthcare, aerospace and defense industries. It is also used in construction. To provide more recycled glass for construction, an increase in the practice of glass recycling, is needed. More government and municipal initiatives and regulations in waste management are needed, raising public awareness and encouraging more initiatives in that direction by local industries.

Many cities today are engaged in urban renewal. This involves extensive demolition of existing buildings. Yet, with a disappointingly low rate of recycling and reclaiming of old materials, such as glass. Regulating demolition – and increasing refurbishment and retrofit, would considerably reduce construction waste, and wisely utilize the embodied carbon from producing these products in the first place. Less demolition would also reduce the need for new construction and use of concrete and sand.

Related: Peak sand

There is no doubt that the debate is relevant and urgent today. Not only, among architects and designers. But, among municipalities as well. With recycling rates ranging from 10 to 90%, there is a long way to go to reach 50% reduction in carbon by 2030 and zero carbon by 2050. And to reduce waste, particularly construction waste, estimated at one third of total waste.

Architectural practices, such as the Dutch Superuse Studio and architect Thomas Rau, are leading the way on circular design in small and large scale projects, materials passports for buildings and reuse of waste, from wood to wind turbines at the end of their lifetime (20 years). 

It is time for other architects and designers to take the lead too. To seriously reconsider the impact of design and construction on the planet. To consider only specifying construction methods that are local, low-carbon, low-impact and circular. Even start putting a cap on construction, densifying and utilizing existing buildings and reducing the floor area of modern apartments, as alternative construction methods and materials are becoming limited and the need to reduce the carbon footprint of construction is becoming imperative. 

The debate on the impact of the construction industry is complex yet essential. It certainly must engage professionals more than just designing planters on the balconies or the roofs, or specifying recycled wood for façade facing. These are nice gestures, but view them more like a “greenwash”. And compare them to the unregulated and unprecedented destruction of life and ecosystems taking place with every single new concrete formwork.

Elias Messinas is a Yale-educated architect and urban planner, creator of ECOWEEK and Senior Lecturer at HIT. He completed this year the interior restoration of an historic synagogue in Greece, based on circular practices. Although small in scale, it reduced waste, new raw materials and the budget by nearly 50%.

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After weeks of intense debates at the International Seabed Authority (ISA) meeting in Jamaica this summer, deep seabed mining will not be allowed. The ISA, an international organization responsible for overseeing and regulating mineral resource activities in the seabed and ocean floor, focuses on protecting the marine environment from harmful impacts related to deep-seabed activities. 

On July 28, 2023, the ISA announced the reinstatement of a moratorium on deep-sea mining. The proposal to discuss the protection of the marine environment and the future of deep-sea mining, initially blocked, will be on the agenda for the upcoming Assembly in 2024 thanks to champion countries’ efforts.

The ocean is already under significant stress from various factors, and deep-sea mining could exacerbate the situation. A temporary halt, or in the ISA’s terms, moratorium, is considered the best option until there is sufficient scientific evidence to protect the marine environment adequately. A number of companies have started mining for precious metals and minerals and policies need to be developed before the sea floor is ripped apart.

The deep-sea mining industry is being questioned as unnecessary for the green transition, and alternative measures like technology choices, recycling, and circular economy practices are suggested to reduce mineral demand. Transitioning to a circular economy is vital to effectively address biodiversity and climate crises.

A total of 21 countries have joined the call for a ban, precautionary pause, or moratorium on deep seabed mining, with Canada, Brazil, Finland, and Portugal making announcements during the ISA meetings. Additionally, companies representing 32% of the global tuna industry expressed concerns, 37 financial institutions managing over 3.3 trillion euros in assets highlighted the need for understanding potential risks, and the UN Commissioner on Human Rights advised against deep-sea mining.

Throughout the week, China, in favor of deep sea mining, had opposed the motion for discussion but eventually consented to include it in the agenda for 2024.

Supporters of deep-sea mining argue that it is necessary to fulfil the growing demand for metals like cobalt and nickel, which are crucial for producing batteries used in electric cars and the the shift towards green energy from fossil fuels. Companies like Regenx from Canada show that we can do a better job of recycling and re-using what we already have in the system. Another Canadian company, started the whole deep sea mining controversy. The Canadian company The Metals Company partnered with a tiny nation of Naura in Micronesia to trigger a loophole.

Canada is undoubtedly a mining nation and we need to hope that Canada will set the global environmental standard on protecting its Arctic borders and Pacific and Atlantic coasts when it comes to deep sea mining.

According to the Mining Association of Canada, which represents mines and their assets mining industry continues to be a critically important part of Canada’s economy, and contributed $125 billion to the GDP in 2021, 5% of the total. Mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction made up 7.9% of Canada’s $2 trillion gross domestic product.

The debate made clear that governments, financial institutions, scientists, and communities are uniting in opposition to deep seabed mining and are creating progress.

However, the potential danger of unregulated deep-sea mining persists, and the complete extent of its impact, if allowed to proceed, remains uncertain.

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Earth’s oceans cover over 70 percent of the planet’s surface and hold more than 1.3 billion cubic kilometers of water. Inside these vast waters inhabitants over 236,878 marine species, but likely way more as we have only explored 20 percent of the oceans. Today, we estimate that the ocean is roughly 11,000 meters at its deepest point.

Just like any other ecosystem, it is imperative to protect the numerous species that inhabit the deep sea. Deep sea mining is now threatening these species due to the discovery of rich minerals such as cobalt and lithium that can be found in seabeds.

The International Sea Bed Council has already put in approval of plans for work as early as September. Luckily, the DSCC is working amongst other NGOs to stop companies from committing these devastating ocean effects.

There are three types of mining that are in the plans to take place. Polymetallic nodules from the abyssal plains, cobalt crusts from seamounts, and polymetallic sulphides from hydrothermal vents. These underwater areas are rich in biodiversity and threatened to be destroyed if the mining takes place. Since much of the ocean has not been explored, we don’t know the severity of the mining, and can be more destructive than we expect.

This is why it is so important to get on board with the DSCC, fisheries, and law and policy enforcement to ensure that permits do not go out to allow this mining. According to the DSCC, scientists have warned us that the impacts of deep-sea mining are inevitable and most likely irreversible.

“The last thing we need is deep sea mining digging ourselves into a deeper hole,” says Louisa Casson at GreenPeace on a conference call Green Prophet joined recently.

The risks that deep sea mining imposes are numerous: The disturbance of natural seabeds and ecosystems creates plumes of sediment that can threaten species’ habitats and threaten extinction. Plumes can also be created through the deposit of wastewater in the mining process that can spread hundreds of square kilometers. It also generates a lot of noise pollution which greatly disturbs species.

According to a study released by Green Peace, the noise pollution that deep sea mining creates can disrupt whales’ ability for frequency navigation, communication between breeding partners, and communication between mothers and calves. And with these frequencies operating 24 hours a day, there is significant detrimental harm to species of whales for the long haul.

“Seabed mining is not a climate solution, it’s a potential climate disaster,” said Bobbi-Jo of The Ocean Foundation on the same call we jumped in on meant to bring journalists up to date with the latest research. With the goal of seabed mining being to provide cobalt and nickel to the EV electric vehicle industry, seabed mining is not going to help these industries much because lithium is most important to this industry for its batteries and is not found in large quantities in the polymetallic nodules of ocean beds. For this reason, seabed mining would be disturbing the sea floor and the marine ecosystems unnecessarily.

Seabed mining can not be marketed as a climate solution because it does not make mining on Earth any less. Although seabed mining may take away from mining on land, it shifts it to mining underwater and further disrupts the earth’s surface, just now underwater.

This makes people think that we are finding solutions to climate issues on land, but they are just moving it underwater where people can not visibly see the damage.

The Canadian company The Metals Company or TMC is a leading proponent of seabed mining. TMC has been called out numerous times because they have put out misleading statements to investors. The company has had two class action cases after failing to disclose information and downplaying reality. They make themselves look like they are doing good work for the metals industry, when in actuality they are heading towards massive blocks from moratorium and difficulties financing their commissions.

Fortunately, countries all over the world are coming together to address and moratorium deep sea mining. “We are seeing a coalition of countries from the Pacific, Latin America, and Europe all making statements,” said Casson from GreenPeace. There is cross-regional support for a moratorium on deep sea mining as statements are being released and a silent majority were against deep sea mining. Governmental and NGO officers showed overwhelming support for the moratorium. Specifically in France and Germany, governments were for deep-sea mining, but as evidence was released that proved the destructive effects of deep-sea mining, these countries turned around and decided there was no future for deep-sea mining.

It is in the hands of activists, NGOs, and others to speak up against deep-sea mining and continue to push for a moratorium on deep-sea mining. As long as we continue to push these scientific facts globally, we can convince nations all over the world to a global moratorium. Deep sea mining is destructive to marine ecosystems and cannot be allowed in any way, shape, or form.

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Deep sea mining involves the retrieval of minerals and deposits from the ocean floor found at depths of 200 metres, up to 6,500 metres. From the 10 to 28 of July the world’s governments will convene in Kingston, Jamaica to negotiate rules and regulations that if agreed and adopted, would open up our ocean to the largest mining operation humanity has ever seen. This emerging industry if unregulated properly will destroy pristine ecosystems untouched since the beginning of time.

The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC), founded in 2004 in response to international concerns over the harmful impacts of deep-sea bottom trawling is calling on countries of the world to draw a line and stop this potentially devastating emerging industry.

Today over 100 non-government organizations, fishers organizations and law and policy institutes worldwide are working together under the DSCC to protect vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems with the goals of reducing the greatest threats to life in the deep sea, and to safeguard the long-term health, integrity and resilience of deep-sea ecosystems.

Working with scientists, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), intergovernmental organizations and governments, we target the United Nations and other bodies to call for action. Members of the DSCC will be present in Kingston throughout the International Seabed Authority’s Council and Assembly meetings, urging governments to support a moratorium on the destructive, emerging industry.

The meetings coincide with the deadline of a 2-year legal loophole triggered by Nauru on behalf of would-be mining company, Nauru Offshore Resources Inc, a subsidiary of Canadian company, The Metals Company.

According to the DSCC, “This loophole stipulates that mining be given the greenlight by July 9, irrespective of whether regulations are in place. Nevertheless, an increasing number of governments are recognising that the only responsible way to prevent irreversible damage to our critical, fragile deep ocean is to support a moratorium.”

The Canadian newspaper The Star has a good back report on how a Canadian company The Metals Company partnered with a tiny nation of Naura in Micronesia to trigger the loophole.

Please register using this Zoom link to join the conversation on July 5 at 14:00 -15:00 BST with the DSCC, Greenpeace, The Ocean Foundation and others for a media briefing ahead of negotiations where panellists will explore the issues surrounding the emerging industry and upcoming negotiations and answer key questions.

Speakers will include:

• Sian Owen – Deep Sea Conservation Coalition Director
• Louisa Casson – Global Project Leader for Greenpeace’s Stop Deep-Sea Mining campaign
• Bobbi-Jo Dobush – Legal Officer at The Ocean Foundation, focusing on deep-sea mining

Greenpeace is calling leaked undercover footage of wastewater pouring into the Pacific ocean during deep sea mining tests “damning”. The undercover footage shown above of the latest deep sea mining tests in the Pacific Ocean shows wastewater being dumped by Canadian miner The Metals Company at the ocean surface, with unknown toxicity and ecological impacts.

What you can do? Send this Zoom call link to journalists heading environmental news locally and nationally. Every nation in the world needs to be onboard knowing how our shared resource and lifeline is at risk. It’s not only the prospect of deep-sea mining that worries scientists today, but existing activities such as offshore oil exploitation and natural gas drilling need to be part of the conversation.

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