November 27, 2023 — Norway could become the first country in the world to mine the deep sea, but many scientists and environmentalists fear that this might blow open the door for a new frontier of extraction, with companies and governments from the Arctic to the Pacific in a race to reap the riches of the ocean floor.
The Norwegian parliament will soon decide whether to open up a section of the Arctic Sea to deep-sea mining, starting with exploration.
But why mine the deep sea? Access to minerals like cobalt is critical for the green transition because they’re used to make things like batteries for electric vehicles and solar panels.
Some people think mining different parts of the deep sea—all the way down to 21,000 feet below—holds a solution and profits. Hydrothermal vents spew out magma-heated water, leaving mineral deposits.