Trump Order Encourages Controversial Deep-Sea Mining for Critical Minerals
Newsweek1 day
Trump Orders Deep-Sea Mining Push
Above: Offshore oil production, aerial view of drillship at Bacia de Campos ( Campos Basin ), Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, on May 19, 2019. Image copyright: BrazilPhotos/Contributor/Brazil Photos/LightRocket via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Deep-sea mining represents a crucial opportunity to secure America's mineral independence from China's dominance, support national security, and create thousands of high-paying jobs across multiple industries while utilizing proven offshore technology capabilities. This will strengthen the U.S. economy.
Establishment-critical narrative
The unilateral move to mine the seabed threatens to destroy fragile deep-sea ecosystems that scientists barely understand, potentially causing irreversible damage to marine food chains and biodiversity while undermining international cooperation on ocean governance.