#2021q3

What is it? 

Humankind knows more about space than our oceans. Its deep waters are filled with mystery, minerals, and commercial interests, driving curiosity within the international community. 

The development of technology relies on mining minerals, such as cobalt, coltan, iron, zinc, copper, nickel, titanium, lead, iron, magnesium, and silver, all quasi exhausted in land minefields through child labor and colonial practices. Due to the human exhaustion of terrestrial mining, nations and private corporations are exploring the tempting practice of mining international waters' seabeds. 

The International Seabed Authority, located in Jamaica, funded by the United Nations, controls and patrols 50% of the world's o seabed to regulate human activity. Private entities and states can request to explore seabeds and their mineral deposits through this UN agency. As attending ISA meetings in   Jamaica is very expensive, the only member states that partake are rich nations such as Canada, France, Russia, China, and the United States, all with commercial interests in deep-sea mining.

The three main commercial interests are:

Polymetallic Nodules, which are buried in fine-grain sediments. One of the highest densities of polymetallic nodules is located in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (Kiribati, French Polynesia, Cook Islands) in the Eastern Pacific. Studies suggest that this sediment contains more Nickle, Magnesium, and cobalt than all terrestrial resources combined. Polymetallic nodules are used in the development of electric vehicles. 

Polymetallic Sulphides have formed thousands of years ago through hydrothermal activity. They are referred to as "black smokers," which are active hydrothermal vents that form unique ecosystems by creating bacteria that serve as a food source to marine creatures. Polymetallic Sulphides containing copper, iron, zinc, silver, and gold. 

Cobalt Crusts are found at 400-7,000 meters deep at the flanks and tops of seamounts. The most prospective area for cobalt crusts is the Magellan Seamounts in the Pacific Ocean, east of Japan, and the Mariana Islands. Cobalt is used in all electrical and electronic devices.

When did it become a common interest? 

In the 1960s, during the verge of a metal price crisis, the geologist John L. Mereo proposed exploring and exploiting the various and unique minerals in the seabeds of international waters. In response, the Maitan Ambassador, Arrid Pardo, told the UN that these explorations are challenging in practice to achieve and besides, it presents a massive threat to humanity and the environment. As a response, the United Nations created the previously mentioned International Seabed Authority to regulate human activity, preventing states from monopolizing the natural resources found in seabeds. 

Currently, nations are exploring the idea due to the current economic crises, using it as a scapegoat for developing countries to provide their land at a meager price for exploitation. By having an intermediary authority, companies are persuading the environmental community that their activity will be monitored, controlled, and done under a set of rules that will cause no harm.

Why should we care? 

The deep sea is so unexplored that it is impossible to imagine what factors need to be considered whilst mining Companies have already thought of a methodology that looks pretty intruding to the environment and an inexperienced tactic that might produce negative results for marine habitats. The method consists of a collector vehicle that will contact the seafloor and collect the mineral deposit by cutting and breaking the mineral deposits from the substrate. This methodology can result in oil spills, destructions of marine habitats, carbon emissions, burning of fossil fuels, and unavoidable mistakes due to the ignorance of what is beyond the sea.

Human activity has already exhausted terrestrial natural resources; why should we repeatedly repeat the same mistakes? Haven't we learned anything? Deep-sea mining is dangerous both for humanity and ocean life. 

What can we do?  Firstly, you can sign these petitions, asking to prohibit deep-sea mining.

Coral reefs cover 0.1% of the ocean floor, but support 25% of all marine wildlife. 90% of them could bleach by 2050.

Nemo is a project that garners data and simplifies the processes of coral restoration. How?

With specialised smart transport boxes that protect young coral from farm to reef

once young corals are ready to transplant into a reef Nemo’s boxes minimise the amount of time the corals are exposed to other temperatures or pHs, this is thanks to the boxes having customizable temperature and pH condititons.

Drones that keep track of conditions and collect reef data around the world

Drones take the corals directly to the transplant location—streamlining the process: less staff involved, and less time consuming.

The drones also help scientists to monitor by 3D scanning and mapping of coral reefs.

An easy platform to share the information around the world across all coral restoration project.

As companies are beginning to shift to more sustainable products, we look at the materials they’re using.

Mycelium Leather

This type of leather is lab-grown, using the roots fungi utilize to grow. 

The material is organic enough to be tanned or dyed, making it look like mainstream leather. 

Mycelium leather is a better alternative to plastic leather, which uses less natural resources and emits almost no carbon emissions. 

Hermés and Adidas are already utilizing this leather to produce sustainable bags and shoes.

Latex

Latex is a natural material that comes from rapidly renewable rubber trees. 

Latex is an excellent alternative to petroleum and animal-based materials used in fashion and furniture. 

Sea stone

A natural binder creates sea stone by grinding the wasted seashells from the seafood industry. 

Sea stone is a more sustainable alternative to cement. 

Algae Bioplastic

Environmentalists have criticized bioplastics because it requires a lot of land use. Thus algae is a better alternative. Algae absorb carbon, and it is abundant and renewable. 

Algae bioplastic is used in sequin dresses, raincoats, skis, food packaging, and filaments for 3D printing. 

Food waste

By repurposing food waste, humanity is making a step forward to a circular economy. 

The most helpful waste is seafood seashells that can act as bioplastic packaging. Coffee grounds are also used to create leather. 

Solar panels are now using produce waste to generate clean energy from ultraviolet light. 

Cork

Cork is sustainable because it is simply stripped from the cork tree without being deforested. 

Cork is recyclable and compostable as well, generating less waste. 

Antes de tirar tu teléfono móvil a la basura, hay otras muchas opciones para donar, vender o reciclarlo y así evitar el daño al medio ambiente. Cada año se generan millones de toneladas de residuos electrónicos y tirarlos a la basura resulta peligroso para el medio ambiente por varias razones. Primero, los teléfonos móviles contienen materiales como metales raros difíciles de extraer. Y en segundo lugar, todos los aparatos tecnológicos contienen baterías dañinas para el medio ambiente. Por ello, deberíamos reciclar o reutilizar partes de nuestros teléfonos minimizando así el daño medioambiental y el desperdicio de dispositivos. 

¿Cómo puedes reciclar tu teléfono móvil?

Si tienes un teléfono móvil en casa que ya no funciona, o no usas más porque has decidido reemplazarlo, siempre lo puedes reciclar en empresas especiales para respetar el medio ambiente. 

Si el teléfono se puede reutilizar, éste se acondiciona alargando su vida útil. Si se diera el caso, empresas como la central de CMR en londres clasifican el estado del móvil según sea funcional u obsoleto. Si funcionase se intentaría arreglar cualquier imperfecto y se pondría de nuevo a la venta. 

Por el contrario, si el teléfono resultase obsoleto, se separarían los materiales para reciclarlo adecuadamente. Puedes enviar tu teléfono por correo a OXFAM Intermón donde la empresa se encargará de clasificar el estado del móvil para reciclarlo. Otro ejemplo de empresas solidarias para el reciclaje es Amnistía Internacional. 

Con esto, ONG’s como el caso de OXFAM Intermón conseguirían: 

Reutilizar terminales.

Reciclar los elementos respetando el medioambiente

Reducir la demanda de componentes como el coltán, un mineral que degrada ecosistemas y genera conflictos armados en la República Democrática del Congo

Recaudar fondos para apoyar los proyectos de Oxfam Intermón para que cada día más personas puedan acceder a una vida digna

Otros consejos

Antes de mandar tu teléfono a reciclar, convendría quitar la tarjeta SIM, o microSD así como la funda en caso de que lleve. Pero en ningún caso se debería tirar el teléfono a la basura. El impacto medioambiental de los teléfonos es muy alto, de hecho unos 50 millones de toneladas de residuos electrónicos se generan anualmente en el mundo. Sólo en España, reciclar teléfonos móviles evitaría la emisión de 60.000 toneladas de CO2 (Estudio de Back Market). Sin embargo, entre el 70% y el 90% de estos desperdicios se podrían reciclar o reutilizar. Así que ¡piénsalo mejor la próxima vez que vayas a tirar un aparato electrónico a la basura! 

Con la reutilización de cada aparato se evita una emisión media de 30 kg de CO2 a la atmósfera y se ahorran unos 12 litros de agua limpia.

In Kim Stanely Robinson’s novel Ministry for the Future farmers get paid for a healthy soil—one that sequesters carbon.

Nori might just be bringing that fiction into reality. Introducing the farmer forward carbon marketplace.

Nori is a marketplace for carbon removal. Starting with regenerative agriculture projects that store carbon in the soil, creating an economic incentive for farmers to engage in regenerative practices.

The platform makes it easy for businesses to get involved in carbon removal for emissions they can’t yet avoid creating.

Nori is an open platform that everyone can invest in with confidence, no matter how big or small their contribution. A platform that allows individuals, businesses, and nature to thrive, while creating a legacy we can be proud of.

How is Nori different to other carbon off-setting?

Nori is creating a marketplace where farmers can set the price for their NRTs (Nori Carbon Removal Tonnes) and receive 100% of those funds. Creating an additional asset for regenerative farmers.

As we enter the Anthropocene, face a climate crisis and mass extinction, many tend to assume that humans living in sync with nature is but a utopian fantasy. With doomsday rhetoric we refer to humans as Earth’s plague. 

However, new research has revealed that humans weren’t always a virus destroying nature, there was a time when humans altered the planet for the better. 

Erle Ellis is a Professor of Environmental science at the University of Maryland, and lead author of the study: People have shaped most of terrestrial nature for at least 12,000 years:

“There  are very few places—only about 17 percent of Earth's land—that has never had people living in it. In most places,  biodiversity was sustained for thousands of years by the people living there. In most cases, humans shaped that biodiversity in a positive way.”—Erle Ellis

There is a misconception that conservation means returning land to its pre-human state. This research actually demonstrates that human populations have roamed the planet for 12,000 years in over ¾ of Earth’s land without having the detrimental effects we are having today.

So why is this newsworthy?

Since industrialization the West’s philosophy of extractionism, intensive land-use and colonialism has brought us to where we are now: a crisis. This research shows that our defeatism is another lazy excuse to continue with the status quo—and that our past can serve as our compass for the future. 

The most fascinating revelation of the study is that today’s biodiversity hotspots are the areas with longstanding indigenous histories.

So how can we apply this revelation?

Empowering indigenous communities and heeding their knowledge for biodiversity conservation can be key in turning the tide. An example of this is returning to traditional methods of farming and land use. Or by reinstating indigenous burning that helped mitigate megafires in california. Read more about it here.

Indigenous communities have valuable knowledge—more than that—they have a connection with nature. Our system has led us astray, it’s time to listen and empower those who can speak her language so humans everywhere can live in harmony with Mother Earth once again.

Netflix has hosted an array of environmental documentaries: A Life on our Planet, Seaspiracy, Kiss the Ground, My Octopus Teacher, Virunga—all shocking and worthy revelations on the state of our planet and its biodiversity loss. Netflix CEO, Reed Hastings, has thus decided to take responsibility of the company’s footprint.

Apparently, the entertainment behemoth’s largest carbon footprint happens during film production, its data centers actually pale in comparison to these numbers. In 2020 Netflix emitted 1.1m tonnes of CO2: equivalent to 125,000 US households (the world’s largest emitter per capita)—producing a show like the crown is netflix’s largest CO2 emitter.

“Our imprint is actually creating our content, building sets, moving people around to be able to produce a series or film. The thing that you think of — like the office or [Amazon Web Services] — is pretty darn small.”—Reed Hastings, Netflix CEO

How will Netflix hit its carbon targets?

In order to hit net zero by 2022 Netflix will purchase carbon off-sets and fund conservation projects, by restoring grasslands, mangroves, and soil restoration as well CO2 sequestration.

However, it’s internally making commitments to cut its direct emissions too:

By 2030 Netflix plans to cut its emissions by 45% How? By…

Adding a carbon price in its budgeting process

Banning dirty diesel generators from film sets

Using more virtual production techniques 

Hiring local crews

Reducing air travel

Introducing LED lights

“We are essentially assembling a small city [each time we build a set] and then dismantling it, it comes with a lot of energy.”—Emma Stewart, Netflix’s sustainability officer.

The most interesting commitment is Netflix’s introduction of an internal carbon tax, “internal carbon tax” in accounting, meaning the less CO2 consumed the lower the tax, this will incentivize the producers dealing with budgeting to keep CO2 levels down.

Hopefully, Netflix can instigate other entertainment giants to follow in its footsteps!