Thread by @althecat

Very interesting Australian radio broadcast from 11th June on two technology subjects of intensely important international issues.

1. The potential opening up of Seabed Mining - for rare earth minerals which has an important deadline in July - after which applications for… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Controversy over this issue is building rapidly as prominent environmentalists come forward to oppose it including Sir David Attenborough. aol.co.uk/ministers-brav…

… and….

Olivia Colman and Stephen Fry join calls for moratorium on deep sea mining independent.co.uk/climate-change…

@Greenpeace held a global day of action on June 3rd the weekend before the #BonnClimateConference. greenpeace.org/international/…

Meanwhile @ScienceMagazine is reporting on a recent European Advisory panel which says that the potentially hugely harmful planned ocean bottom mining activity is unnecessary.

And Nature.com is reporting that the discovery of 1000s of new species… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

The international Seabed Authority isa.org.jm which is tasked with deciding whether and how to open up and then consider potential mining applications is now in a very very hot seat.

Like many UN Bodies the ISA is governed by member states making decisions as an assembly - meaning it is in effect an international political organ like the UNGA and the UNFCCC meaning the outcomes of decisions to be made in July are far from a done deal - and could easily become… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

With massive corporate efforts and interest - significant geopolitical implications- and significant amounts of prospecting and technology development for the new sector having been underway for decades the environmental diplomatic furore come July is likely to be monumental.

The 28th Session of the International Seabed Authority began in March and runs till November in Kingston Jamaica, concluding shortly before #COP28 convenes in Dubai (UAE).

This from @ObserverUK is probably the best article currently available to get your head around the coming - fast approaching - controversy. And the news is not all bad. amp.theguardian.com/environment/20…

That said, an enormous amount is at stake and even a cursory look at the ISA website makes it clear that the institution itself is already deeply compromised - much of the content talks about the beginning of large scale seabed mining as if it is a fait-accompli.

The article… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

That said the major corporate players in this field who are still in the game (unfortunately not covered in detail in the observer report) are also very powerful.

This is a story to watch closely over the remainder of the year - at least - as the 28th Session of the ISA plays… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

/ends

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