Capitalism triumphs again. It’s another big win for Business As Usual. When there are potential profits to be made, that always will override any concerns about the environment or pollution or other species.
Norway has taken a step closer to becoming the first country in the world to open up its seabed for commercial deep-sea mining after giving the go-ahead in a parliamentary vote on Tuesday.
The decision comes despite warnings from scientists that it could have a devastating impact on marine life, and despite opposition from the EU and the UK, which have called for a temporary ban on deep-sea mining because of environmental concerns.
The proposal, voted in 80-20 by Norway’s parliament, is expected to speed up exploration of minerals – including precious metals – that are in high demand for 'green' technologies.
While the decision will initially apply to Norwegian waters, it will expose an area larger than Britain – 280,000 sq km (108,000 sq miles) – to potential mining by companies, which will be able to apply for licences to mine minerals including lithium, scandium, and cobalt.
This is why we can't have nice things. Nice things like a healthy environment, or a future for our children. We can't have them because capitalism says they don't matter.