unit three: sovereignty of ocean resources

Question 1

what is driving the increasing demand for resources?

Answer 1

growing affluent urban populations

Question 2

what new products are driving the increasing demand for nickel, manganese and cobalt?

Answer 2

lithium ion batteries (poly metallic nodules = rich in all three) - storage method for electrically generated renewable energies

Question 3

What is the area rich in nickel, manganese and cobalt deposits?

Answer 3

between hawaii and mexico
known as the clarion-clipperton zone

Question 4

why is the clarion-clipperton zone so important but difficult to access?

Answer 4

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

Question 5

what is the International sea bed authority (isa) and what do they do?

Answer 5

department of the un, issues exploratory licences to companies who wish to explore the seabed for minerals in international waters

Question 6

why do many scientist have concerns over mining the sea floor on an industrial scale?

Answer 6

• 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)
• could release more carbon dioxide

Question 7

what did scientists discover in 1977? and how could mining affect this?

Answer 7

• first ecosystem discovered 2.5 km deep
• could destroy microbes that have possibility in medicines (live on nodules)

Question 8

what are some of the arguments for and against seafloor mining?

Answer 8

for:
- 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)

against:
- 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

Question 9

where is ‘recoverable’ oil and gas found?

Answer 9

found in shallow waters, often found on continental shelves (thus within countries eez’s)

Question 10

how does the distribution of recoverable oil and gas in oceans lead to unequal economic development opportunities?

Answer 10

• 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

Question 11

when was the falklands war over oil and who was involved?

Answer 11

• april to june 1982
• population less than 3000
• fought with argentina
• uk, france, spain also involved