We have a rare chance to choose preservation over profit. Let’s take it.
** News of the world environment
------------------------------------------------------------
NEWSLETTER | JULY 21, 2023
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
** Avoid Depths
------------------------------------------------------------
We’re at a crossroads when it comes to the deep sea. Though we know relatively little about this other-worldly environment, we do know that it is teeming with unique and undiscovered life, and that the seafloor is rich in metals like nickel and cobalt, metals that are in increasing demand for green energy technologies. What we do with that information is up to the International Seabed Authority (ISA), which has for the past two weeks essentially been negotiating the fate of our deep oceans in Kingston, Jamaica.
Let’s back up a bit. For years, the ISA — which is tasked with regulating all mineral-related activities in international waters while also protecting the marine environment — has been working to develop mining regulations, and putting off prospective mining companies until it did. But in 2021, the island nation of Narau forced its hand, triggering an obscure rule that gave the ISA two years to establish mining regulations or to start accepting applications. (The ISA requires private companies to have national sponsorship for their mining applications, and Nauru is sponsoring one such eager company.)
The two-year deadline, July 9, has come and gone — but a mining code remains elusive. That’s put the ISA in a sticky situation. It is now scrambling to finalize regulations — which are likely months away ([link removed]) at best — while also trying to figure what to do if mining applications start rolling in before then.
The ISA isn’t doing well under pressure. Ahead of the Kingston negotiations, it restricted peaceful protests ([link removed]) at the meeting, and prohibited “derisory activity or criticism” by media. On Wednesday, with only a week left of the talks, it moved crucial negotiations ([link removed]) behind closed doors.
Meanwhile, a growing number of scientists and environmentalists, along with 20-plus ISA member countries, are calling for the organization to hit pause on mining altogether. As they point out, we simply don’t know enough about deep-sea ecosystems to understand how exactly mining would impact them, though we can be sure it would take a toll. (Think bus-size machines that suck metal-filled nodules off the seafloor.)
Honestly, this one seems like a no-brainer. We have an exceedingly rare opportunity to choose preservation over profit, and to avoid deliberate harm. It’s not that the underwater environment is pristine — climate change, plastic pollution, and mining exploration have all left a mark there. But it’s one of the last places on Earth where our human touch has, so far, been relatively light.
It may not be likely, but maybe, just maybe, we will manage to leave it that way.
Zoe Loftus-Farren
Managing Editor, Earth Island Journal
Photo by Tolga Ahmetler ([link removed])
TOP STORIES ()
[link removed]
** Satellite Detectives ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Dark fleets pose a major barrier to monitoring and regulating fishing on the high seas. Big data, AI, and satellites could help close the gap.
READ MORE ([link removed])
Are you in? Earth Island Journal is a nonprofit, and we're looking for 75 new donors to the Green Journalism Fund.
As a nonprofit, Earth Island Journal is driven by purpose, not profit. We have no billionaire benefactors. We rely on the support of people like you. Can we count on you to donate to the Green Journalism Fund?
Yes, I'll support the Green Journalism Fund ([link removed])
[link removed]
** Data in Art ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Jill Pelto embeds climate data into delicate watercolors of natural places and wildlife to communicate the real-world impacts of rising temperatures.
READ MORE ([link removed])
[link removed]
** Quitting Fire ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Humans may be “fire-keepers,” but we are losing control of this essential companion of civilizations. It’s time we tapped into to Earth’s “non-flammable abundance” instead, says author John Vaillant.
LISTEN HERE ([link removed])
ICYMI ()
[link removed]
** Mining Makeover ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
The climate crisis has become a means for mining interests to obtain social license. The industry today is brimming with hope and excitement at the promise of some $15 to $20 trillion in profit.
Read more » ([link removed])
Photo: Frank Kehren ([link removed])
[link removed]
** Empty Space ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
“There was something, and then, unbearably slowly, there is nothing. A cave is an absence.”
We were captivated by this travelogue about Missouri’s ever-dissolving karst landscape.
Read more » ([link removed])
Photo: Matt Topper ([link removed])
** Send this to a friend:
------------------------------------------------------------
[link removed] Share ([link removed])
[link removed]: https%3A%2F%2Fmailchi.mp%2Fabb5eeba2f53%2Fgrowing-change-13364555 Tweet ([link removed]: https%3A%2F%2Fmailchi.mp%2Fabb5eeba2f53%2Fgrowing-change-13364555)
[link removed] Forward ([link removed])
**
------------------------------------------------------------
Did a thoughtful friend forward you our newsletter? Keep up with the latest from Earth Island Journal!
** SIGN UP TODAY ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
============================================================
** Like the Journal ([link removed])
** Like the Journal ([link removed])
** Tweet our Stories ([link removed])
** Tweet our Stories ([link removed])
** Follow us on Instagram ([link removed])
** Follow us on Instagram ([link removed])
You are receiving this email newsletter because you signed up on our website.
If this newsletter was forwarded to you, you can ** si ([link removed])
** gn up ([link removed])
** to the email newsletter ([link removed])
** here ([link removed])
** . ([link removed])
Support our work by ** subscribing ([link removed])
** to our quarterly print magazine ([link removed])
.
Copyright © 2023 Earth Island Journal, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website.
Our mailing address is:
Earth Island Journal
2150 Allston Way Ste 460
Berkeley, CA 94704-1375
USA
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
.
Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp
[link removed]
