Ecology and extractivism

By land or by sea: will Chile open the door to deep sea mining?

After the international negotiations on deep sea mining, it is worth asking whether this activity could be developed in the future in Chile, a mining country whose sea is almost five times larger than its continental surface. While some say that “it does not make sense”, others suggest that it could be an alternative to reduce land-based mining conflicts.

Machines line up on the ocean floor while a man in a deep sea suit walks in front

Deep sea dilemma: to mine or not to mine?

Proponents say that mining the deep seas will provide a nearly unlimited resource of valuable metals, solving the problem of where to get the materials needed for the green energy transition, with the profits shared by all mankind. However, the pressing question remains: Can we justify the costs?

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