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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsthe EnvironmentResource ExtractionGreen energy transitionMarine biodiversityEnvironmental ConservationSeabed Mining•••Started 3mos agoActive 3wks ago

Should mining companies be allowed to extract minerals from the ocean floor?

This issue pits the desperate global demand for vanadium and other 'green tech' minerals against the conservation of New Zealand's unique marine environment, with courts recently blocking attempts to mine off the Taranaki coast due to concerns over biodiversity loss and cultural impacts on local Māori iwi. While advocates claim seabed mining is less carbon-intensive than land-based mining, opponents warn that dredging the seafloor creates sediment clouds that can travel long distances and smother marine life. Proponents argue it is a cleaner way to get resources than stripping land and forests. Opponents argue the risk of catastrophic damage to the food web is simply too high.

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10 Replies

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...3mos3MO

No

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...3mos3MO

Yes

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...3mos3MO

No, it destroys fragile deep-sea ecosystems that will take centuries to recover.

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...3mos3MO

No, not until we fully understand the long-term environmental science.

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...3mos3MO

Yes, the world needs these minerals to build batteries for the green energy transition.

 @BD8KCSPOpportunityanswered…3wks3W

Yes, provided adequate environmental protections are put in place and regulations enforced to ensure the disruption caused by mining is minimised, and ensure the mineral assets are nationalised.

 @BCKB3TZOpportunityanswered…2mos2MO

Yes, with rigorous environmental controls and impact assessments in place.

 @BC4YHL8Independent answered…2mos2MO

The Maori should decide on this since helen clark recieved backlash on this issue

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...3mos3MO

No, the sediment plumes risk suffocating our fisheries and marine life.

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...3mos3MO

Yes, it is cleaner and less damaging than extracting these minerals from the land.

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