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theHandpuppet

(19,964 posts) Tue Feb 18, 2014, 03:40 PM Feb 2014

Now here's some truly scary stuff...

We can't even mine responsibly above ground... do you really think that would change when they mine the deep sea beds? Is there any part of the earth humankind is not intent on utterly destroying?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25638838
Deep-sea mining 'must responsibly respect ecosystems'
By Jonathan Amos
Science correspondent, BBC News, Chicago

(short excerpt)
Technology-driven

The ocean floor is being targeted as a source for a range of metals and minerals.

Part of this is driven by the insatiable appetite for modern technology devices like cell phones and hybrid cars.

The battery in a Toyota Prius hybrid car, for example, requires more than 10kg of lanthanum.

Large tracts of sea bed have now been licensed to permit the prospecting of manganese nodules, cobalt crusts, massive sulphides to produce copper and zinc, and even phosphates to make fertilisers.... MORE

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Now here's some truly scary stuff... (Original Post) theHandpuppet Feb 2014 OP

Scraping residue from the crack pipe. arcane1 Feb 2014 #1

Hadn't thought about that but you're right theHandpuppet Feb 2014 #2

arcane1

(38,613 posts)

1. Scraping residue from the crack pipe.

Reply to theHandpuppet (Original post)

Tue Feb 18, 2014, 03:43 PM

Feb 2014

Thinking about how much more expensive it likely is to do these processes, one thing it tells us is that our land-based supply must be dwindling quite a bit.

theHandpuppet

(19,964 posts)

2. Hadn't thought about that but you're right

Reply to arcane1 (Reply #1)

Tue Feb 18, 2014, 04:15 PM

Feb 2014

Seems that deep sea mining would be extraordinarily expensive and not cost-effective unless we're really running out of raw materials.

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