There are still untouched ecosystems? - Let's go! Let's destroy them!

Why is the Earth called the Blue Planet? - Right, because it is covered by oceans.

These, in turn, have only been researched to a very limited extent.

Companies are now pushing to exploit the mineral deposits in the deep sea, treasures of inestimable value. But the consequences of such intervention are also incalculable.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA), which regulates activities on the seabed beyond national jurisdiction, has already issued 31 contracts for the exploration of mineral deposits in the deep sea. These are all about exploration for the future extraction of mineral resources.

The ISA is now on the verge of a decision that has not yet been reached. This is because the deadline for the adoption of a binding set of rules for dismantling expires in July.

This is the reason for a fervent outcry from environmental organizations - and rightly so, in our opinion.

What is deep-sea mining?

Deep-sea mining refers to the extraction of mineral deposits on the deep-sea floor, which covers around two thirds of the entire seabed.

But there are marine protected areas - right? We have reported...

https://news.pro.earth/2023/03/05/erstmals-schutz-von-hochseegebieten/

As the biodiversity and ecosystems of the deep sea are still very poorly researched and therefore difficult to understand, the potential impact of deep sea mining is practically impossible to assess. This is another reason why it is actually impossible to establish mandatory protective measures - everything would be window-dressing and the consequences would be unpredictable.

This was confirmed by the Environment Director of the European Academy of Sciences, Michael Norton, in an Ö1 report. Mining would affect millions of square kilometers, the carbon content of the oceans would be changed and the consequences would be felt for thousands of years, because that is how long it has taken for this sensitive ecosystem to grow.

He also firmly refutes the argument that mineral resources are needed to expand alternative energies. According to his assessment, this can be achieved by terrestrial methods such as recycling. He sees no need for this massive intervention in one of the most important ecosystems of all.

Please, let's take to the barricades together!

Click here to sign the Greenpeace petition.

pro.earth conclusion:

For us, the very idea of even considering, in the situation in which we find ourselves with the state of the earth and the climate, the extinction of species and the melting of glaciers, to brutally dig up and exploit one of the few untouched ecosystems, namely that of the deep sea, for the further expansion of economic interests, assuming the mass extinction of all living creatures in the cultivated zones, is completely absurd and must be condemned in the strongest terms.