The “Planet-Saving Technology” Set To Devastate The World
A once-promising technology now threatens to create a catastrophe.
As we shift away from fossil fuels and towards a renewable-powered future, our needs change. For example, we need far more cobalt, manganese, zinc, copper, and nickel than ever before, given that they are integral materials for the lithium-ion batteries that go into our EVs and giant grid-level batteries. But there is a problem. Mining and refining these materials has some horrific environmental implications, and we can’t expand our mines quickly enough to cope with the demand, which dramatically elevates the price of the batteries. Fortunately, between 1,400 and 3,700 metres below the ocean surface, these materials are ripe for the picking. Down there, hydrothermal vents create large, globular sulphide deposits chock full of silver, gold, copper, nickel, manganese, cobalt, and zinc. It is incredibly easy to vacuum up these deposits, and due to the high concentration of metal, it is very energy-efficient to refine them. This discovery is how deep-sea mining was born! It promised us ample amounts of cheap, profitable, and low-environmental-impact metals that could power our renewable transformation and halt climate change. But recent studies have cast this promise into doubt. In fact, it looks like deep-sea mining could wreck the planet.
