(B.N. Frank) Mining for ingredients needed to make electric vehicles (EV) and other wireless devices and infrastructure has environmental consequences whether the mining is done on land (see 1, 2, 3) or in the ocean (see 1, 2). These ingredients are often referred to as “conflict minerals” (see 1, 2, 3, 4) which seems appropriate. Adding insult to injury, what proponents continue to refer to as “green technologies” often emit high levels of biologically and environmentally harmful radiation. All of the above is already wreaking havoc on land. Now the oceans are at serious risk for being destroyed as well.
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by B.N. Frank, May 24th, 2022
Oceans, Technology, and a New Era
May 18, 2022
Safe Tech International blog by Kate Kheel
In an on-going pillage of Earth and skies, the technology sector has now turned to the oceans. Passion for profit veiled by empty promises of a “green energy future” are the main drivers behind the new blue economy and the emergent Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT). And critical for all this technology are Rare Earth Minerals (REM) found in abundance at the bottom of the ocean.
Billions are being poured into R&D for new applications and infrastructure to enable seamless connectivity throughout the Ocean, Earth, and Heavens. Dubbed “Smart Ocean”, the IoUT will enable deep-sea warfare, deep-sea mining and, so the hype goes, a “renewable energy future”.
On dry land we have 4G/5G cell towers that work in concert with tens of thousands of satellites in the skies enabling ubiquitous 24/7 internet and telecommunications coverage for nearly all people and things on the planet. A similar cacophony of communications comprised of a vast network of interconnected sensors, fiber, sonar, laser, optical light, autonomous and remote-controlled vehicles, submarines, torpedoes, cameras, drones, robots and more, is now being unleashed into the pristine underwater world. Imperiled are the millions of species for whom the ocean is home, and the diverse deep-sea eco systems that sustain all life on this planet.
Most underwater wireless communications rely on sonar, which for decades has been known to harm whales and other marine animals who communicate by means of sonar. Sonar can cause deafness, beaching and even death in whales.
The pain and suffering to these animals should be reason alone for pause. But beyond this, whales help mitigate excess carbon in the environment and play an essential role in the planet’s ecosystem. A whale absorbs huge amounts of carbon which upon death is buried at the bottom of the ocean. Each great whale sequesters approximately 33 tons of CO2. (A tree absorbs up to 48 pounds per year by way of comparison.) In addition, whales’ fecal plumes provide optimal conditions for phytoplankton which produce well over half the oxygen on the planet and are responsible for most of the CO2 transferred from the atmosphere to the ocean.
The underlying raison d’être for this technological expansion into the ocean is the same as for most of our use and abuse of the natural world: the pursuit of power, profit, and so-called “progress” at all costs, fostered by a deep disregard and disconnect from the natural world, and the wanton dismissal of the fact that we too are nature.
Deep Sea Mining
An “all-things-wirelessly-connected world” requires huge quantities of rare earth minerals (REM) – aka, rare earth elements (REE), rare earth metals, or often referred to simply as rare earths. There are three primary sources of rare earth minerals in the ocean: 1. Poly-metallic nodules, found in abyssal plains; 2. Cobalt-rich crusts on seamounts; and 3) Mineral deposits in and around hydrothermal vents. Of particular interest for renewables such as solar panels or wind turbines, are poly-metallic nodules which contain high levels of cobalt, nickel, manganese, and copper, as well as smaller amounts of lithium and molybdenum.
Until now, in the West, rare earths have been obtained from land-based mines such as those found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where workers, including young children, undergo hardship and sometimes die from inhumane working conditions. Impacts on the environment are extensive arising from the extraction and processing of the minerals. In Mining the Sacred, author Katie Singer explains, “….the impacts of mining are steep. For every single ton of metal extracted, 426 tons of waste arise. More people have been murdered over mining for coltan than any other single event since World War II.”
Estimates vary, but most people agree that by 2050 the “need” for rare earths will vastly increase. Due to projected population growth, our ever-expanding use of technology, and the growing scarcity of land-based rare earths, companies are turning to the deep sea to source minerals.
Geopolitical considerations also play a role, with China accounting for most of the world’s production of rare earths and providing 98% of the European Union’s supply.
Fauna Are Imperiled
The deep sea houses the largest eco-system on the planet and is home to millions of species, some of which are yet to be discovered. Scientists warn that trawling the ocean floor for rare earths could potentially destroy these eco-systems and decimate entire species of marine animals. Bulky remote-controlled “bull-dozers” are used to extract poly-metallic nodules. These vehicles dredge the seabed churning up the first 10 centimeters of the ocean floor, and displacing or killing the fauna that live on or around these nodules. Only some of the bacteria remains. The sediment that is stirred up forms plumes that travel beyond the excavation site causing suffocation in fauna for miles. The collected brew is then shot up through tubes to a large ship to be processed. The minerals are separated out and the sediment tossed back into the ocean causing a second wave of suffocation for animals who live closer to the surface of the ocean.
An alternate method for extracting poly-metallic nodules uses remote-controlled drone robotsto scoop up the nodules and transport them to a lift. While his method would cause fewer sediment plumes, the optical light frequencies used to communicate with the robots may adversely impact sea creatures and disrupt ecosystems.
Thankfully, there is much pushback around the world to deep-sea mining. Many environmental organizations and scientists are calling for a moratorium until further research is done. Even a few car manufacturers have committed to not using minerals sourced from the ocean. But the sad irony is that the proposed research will be conducted by utilizing the IoUT thus fueling the purported urgency to fill the ocean with technology. Tragically, we are destroying the ocean to save the Earth. A Catch-22 of cosmic proportions.
Reducing our appetite for technology along with recycling rare earth minerals and metals would go a long way toward addressing the so-called “need” for rare earths. But this kind of thinking and foresight is not yet part of the current political and cultural mindset. So-called “progress” is still predicated on growth, competition, and creating “more,” regardless of the true costs to life on Earth.
Deep Sea Warfare
Deep Sea Warfare (aka subsea warfare or undersea warfare) is fast becoming the next darling of the military with the development of (lethal) unmanned undersea systems (UUS) and the convergence of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and torpedoes, all of which rely on the IoUT.
Stillness in the Storm Editor: Why did we post this?
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– Justin
Not sure how to make sense of this? Want to learn how to discern like a pro? Read this essential guide to discernment, analysis of claims, and understanding the truth in a world of deception: 4 Key Steps of Discernment – Advanced Truth-Seeking Tools.
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