President Trump's executive order facilitates deep-sea mining to enhance the domestic supply of critical minerals, including nickel and cobalt. Despite no current commercial operations globally, the ocean floor holds potential resources in nodules that are often found in international waters, complicating regulatory efforts by the International Seabed Authority. The order, using the 1980 'Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act,' aims to accelerate permit reviews, despite pushback from scientists and environmentalists warning of significant ecological damage to vulnerable marine ecosystems.
The executive order facilitates deep-sea mining for metals critical to technology, despite environmental concerns and the lack of regulatory framework governing such activities.
Douglas McCauley cautions that the mining operations could disrupt fragile marine ecosystems, stating, 'This is being planned on some of the least resilient ecosystems on the planet.'
Trump's order invokes a 1980 U.S. law to expedite mining permits, reflecting a push for domestic supplies of minerals like cobalt and nickel.
The International Seabed Authority has yet to establish comprehensive regulations for seabed mining, raising questions about the sustainability of the emerging industry.
Collection
[
|
...
]