Deep sea explorer Don Walsh, part of 2-man crew to first reach deepest point of ocean, dies at 92
NBCJUL 2023
The proposed deep-sea mining industry will wipe out vast amounts of nonmicrobial species if its thunderous machines are allowed to operate on the ocean floor. First, the noise pollution will send the larger predator fish fleeing away; then, once they begin kicking sediment up on the seabed, those particles will choke all the smaller prey fish to death. Furthermore, the polymetallic nodules that rest on the ocean floor are where animals like sponges and worms live, which means their lives will also be cut short due to the cobalt industry boom.
While governments should take necessary precautions and conduct research before greenlighting deep-sea mining, they shouldn't take too long in the face of the far greater enemy of climate change. Rising sea levels due to fossil fuel burning risks making entire countries uninhabitable, so the future must be electric. Furthermore, mineral mining on land produces more harm than in the sea, adding human rights violations on top of environmental challenges. Deep-sea mining is the least harmful solution to global warming.