Emmanuel Macron unveiled on Tuesday, October 12, an investment plan of 30 30 billion over five years to develop industrial competitiveness and future technologies in France. About two billion euros will be invested But space in exploring the ocean. This study “An extraordinary lever for understanding organisms, accessing some rare metals, and understanding the workings of newly discovered ecosystems.”, The head of state underlined. But this study could lead to the exploitation of these sea beds, fear for NGOs.
At sea, we see tomorrow’s minerals entering the batteries of electric cars or communication devices. For example cobalt, manganese or nickel. These minerals Are at a depth of more than 4000 meters. They are in mineral compounds called polymetallic knots. There are also hydrothermal vents, some of which are 120,000 years old.
These are the sources that are at the center of the concern. A consortium of NGOs has been organized to protect them. Fear leads to a state of exploitation. Sean Owen, a member of the Deep Sea Alliance, warns “Damage at sea is irreversible”. “It’s part of the planet that will take centuries, even more so, to re-create itself. She mentions. This will cause pollution. There is also a risk of damaging the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon. “. The demand for a ban on logging was passed at the IUCN World Security Conference in Marseille last month. But France withdrew.
Extraction industries have a history of environmental destruction. There is a new impetus to open to deep sea mining. Read the Greenpeace International Report # Deep problem About how companies use secret deals to try deep-sea mining >> https://t.co/qy05Eoz6Xx pic.twitter.com/Opd4yoD4Ah
– Green Peas (Green Peas) December 9, 2020
There are important study areas in the international waters of the Pacific and North Atlantic. An organization dependent on the UN, so set up. It grants study permission. There are two in France, which are used by IFREMER. Two companies, Belgian and Canadian, now have machines to exploit the deep sea. Last April, Greenpeace dEep green in the Central Pacific, To help with this research work. “This is a bulldozer, we cut through the underwater cable with many technical restrictions. Besides, they lost it for the first time, they found it, Says Franுவாois Sardier, Ocean Camp at Granpeace. But this is not a sophisticated way of taking samples to understand completely unknown ecosystems. “
“When we talk about research, we often have scientific discoveries in our minds. It’s not everything, it’s mining research.”
Franசois Sardier, “Ocean” campaign manager at GreenpeaceTo Francispo
In this case the NGOs are criticizing the administration for not providing adequate protection. A mining code is currently under discussion. The fear is that in an environment where there is a strong demand for minerals for consumption, the exploitation phase will open in a few years.