Unit 3 Flashcards
The ocean floor is a source of what?
mineral and fossil fuel resources
What is driving the increasing demand for resources?
growing affluent urban populations
What new products are driving the increasing demand for Nickel, Manganese and Cobalt?
lithium ion batteries (poly metallic nodules = rich in all three)
What are lithium ion batteries used for?
a storage method for electrically generated renewable energies
What is the area rich in (Nickel, Manganese and Cobalt) these deposits?
Between Hawaii and Mexico
known as the Clarion-Clipperton zone
Why is the Clarion-Clipperton zone so important but difficult to access?
Contain more than all known land resources combined
PROBLEMS:
- lack legal framework
- costly and expensive to harvest
- machines can’t handle pressure (300x more that pressure on land)
- often found below 3000m
What are the three substances found within a Polymetallic Nodule?
Nickel, Manganese and Cobalt
What is the International Sea Bed Authority (ISA) and what do they do?
department of the UN, issues exploratory licences to companies who wish to explore the seabed for minerals in international waters
Who do the ISA work with?
167 member states + EU
Why do many scientist have concerns over mining the sea floor on an industrial scale?
- Warn that it could be environmentally devastating, because of the pressure its a poorly understood ecosystem
- Scurry dumped after extraction could also be a hazard if dumped high up (could drift and disrupt other ecosystems)
What did scientists discover in 1977?
first ecosystem discovered 2.5 km deep
How could mining affect what scientists discovered in 1997?
could destroy microbes that have possibility in medicines (live on nodules)
What did scientists do in 1989 to investigate the effects of mining on the sea floor?
stimulated a mining operation, 3 decades later, tracks were still left on the sea floor
found bacteria absorb carbon = carbon sink
What are some of the arguments for seafloor mining?
- could be necessary for metals required to meet the transition to a low carbon community (circular community)
- high demands need to be met
- reduces cost of switching to renewables (less competition for communities)
What are some of the arguments against sea floor mining?
- scientists have warned large scale, severe and irreversible damage to ocean floors
- too little known about deep parts of ocean
- risk of leaks and fuel spills
- unsure of impacts on the nutrients cycle
- mining below 200m can cause harmful noise, vibration and light pollution
Where is ‘recoverable’ oil and gas found?
found in shallow waters, often found on continental shelves (thus within countries EEZ’s)
How does the distribution of recoverable oil and gas in oceans lead to unequal economic development opportunities?
landlocked countries cannot access them = conflicts
countries with oil and gas hold political and economical leverage over countries without
corruption, the money doesn’t benefit population, it benefits MNC’S
When was the Falklands War over oil and who was involved?
April to June 1982
(population less than 3000)
fought with Argentina
U.K, France, Spain also involved
900 people lost their lives. Why was there conflict?
British claimed territory due to oil reserves but Argentina protested saying they should have claim
How many barrels of oil are thought to be in the Falkland islands?
60 billion barrels under sea bed (most located in EEZ)
In 2010, what licences did Britain issue to oil companies and what for?
licences to carry out exploratory drilling to determine the quantity and quality of oil, Argentina protested to UN
Why is there a dispute in the South China Sea?
China created 10 dash line (including Taiwan)
over the Spratly Islands, which are largely uninhabited
Countries including China ant to lay claim to these islands to expand their EEZ’s to gain access to the resources in South China Sea
Why is the South China Sea so important?
- estimated 21%of all global trade passes
- in 2016 $3.37 trillion passed through transit
What did China start doing to the islands in 2014?
Began to create artificial islands and militarist them creating tensions
What are the countries involved in the South China Sea dispute?
Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, Philippines and China
What did Manila accuse China of doing in June 2019?
accused Chinese trawler of ramming Filipino fishing boat with 22 people on board (saved by Vietnamese
What did UN say about China’s acts?
They said it was illegal but have made no attempts to stop them
Why is there issues with Sovereignty over the Arctic Ocean and its resources?
6 key countries (Russia, Canada, Denmark) have an EEZ that extends into Arctic ocean, therefore have claim over resources
has been growing tension due to the growing economic opportunities resulting from climate change
Why are Russia trying to lay claim to Arctic Ocean that is outside of their EEZ?
saying that their continental shelf goes beyond their EEZ - want the resources
(they planted Russian flag on sea floor
What are some of the resources located in the Arctic Ocean?
15% of untapped oil
30% of untapped gas
fish
How are the indigenous populations in the Arctic affected from the unequal access to ocean resources?
live off the ecosystem hunting natural resources: fish, reindeer, caribou, whales, seals and birds
resource exploitation has damaged fragile arctic environments
What is the case study for indigenous people and inequalities they face?
The Gwich’in community of Northern Alaska (culture over 20,000 years old)
How many people inhabit the arctic and how many of these are indigenous?
4 million, 500,000 of which are classed as indigenous
How have the Arctic indigenous people followed a sustainable way of life?
lifestyle based on hunting natural resources such as fish, reindeer, caribou, whales, seals, and birds
Since the 1990’s what has happened that has meant that the indigenous population has lost access to these resources?
growth of fossil fuel extraction and effects of climate change have been impacting the fragile ecosystem
In spring how many Caribou migrate to Alaska’s National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)?
180,000
Since 1987 what has threatened ANWR?
from oil and gas development
What are the injustices that the Gwitch’in face from the threat of oil and gas development in ANWR?
- impacts on the ecosystem and the wildlife, biodiversity and ecology
- they may become conservative refugee’s
- possible create jobs for them in the oil industry
- economic leakage
- additional fossil fuels +4 degrees in the Arctic
Of the 193 countries in the world how many are landlocked and how many ae classed as ‘developing’ countries by the UN?
45 are landlocked
32 are classed as developing
Of the 15 countries with the lowest human development index (HDI) score how many are landlocked?
8
In Africa, landlocked countries have how much lower GDP per capita compared to their maritime neighbours?
40%
Why might some landlocked countries lag behind those with coastlines?
- it may be harder from them to trade, as shipping routes require coastline (80% of global trade occurs via ocean)
- no navy/ power/ influence
- Cannot attract FDI as MNC’s aren’t going to set up where it is difficult to export and import products
- cannot recover as easily from natural disasters if they’re poor
What is the case study of a landlocked country?
Bolivia
How does UNCLOS state that landlocked countries have access to ocean? How can Bolivia gain access?
through neighbouring ‘Transit States’. Bolivia should be able to use the shortest route through Chile
Why can’t Bolivia access the ocean?
Bolivia and Chile have had historical disputes: in 1904 Bolivia surrendered there remaining coastline to Chile
What has been agreed between Peru and Bolivia?
Allowed Bolivia to build its own Pacific Port, allowing them to access global market (3.58sq km)
What are some of the ongoing issues in Bolivia?
- Bolivia today is the poorest country in South America
- A strike in Chilean customs officials in 2013 caused a queue of lorries of 20km long in Bolivia
- In 2018 Bolivia applied to the international court of justice in the Hague, to regain access to the coastline, but they ruled against Bolivia
Why is Bolivia gaining access to their own port significant?
They can sell their mined materials, such as silver, zinc and iron
and can get other good imported
