Deep-sea mining - 6 Minute English

Hello. This is 6 Minute English from

BBC Learning English. I’m Neil.

And I’m Sam.

Here at Six Minute English,

we often discuss the new inventions

and ideas scientists dream up to

fight climate change – technologies

like geo-engineering which could

reduce global warming by

reflecting sunlight back into space.

Often these ideas are controversial

because scientists disagree

over whether the technology is

possible, and whether, in some

cases, it could do

more harm than good.

In this programme, we’ll be

finding out about a new idea

to collect lumps of precious metals,

called nodules, from the bottom

of the ocean. The idea, known

as deep-sea mining, could

provide the metals like copper,

nickel and cobalt which are

needed for the green technology

used in electric car batteries

and other renewable energy.

But could deep-sea mining

actually damage delicate

ocean eco-systems as well?

We’ll be hearing from two experts

and learning some new vocabulary

soon, but first I have a question

for you, Sam. Mammals like

dolphins and whales represent

a tiny amount of all marine

biodiversity - the thousands of

animal species living in the sea.

Even all the different types of fish

combined make up less than 3% of

all living things in the ocean. So,

according to recent estimates by

Unesco oceanographers, how many

different marine species have their

home in the ocean? Is it:

a) 70,000?

b) 170,000?

c) 700,000?

I’ll guess there are around 170,000

animal species living in the sea.

OK, Sam, I’ll reveal the answer at

the end of the programme.

Deep-sea mining is supported by

some scientists because it could

provide the raw materials,

especially metals, needed to power

electric cars. Amongst them is,

Bramley Murton, a professor of

marine biology at Southampton’s

National Oceanographic Centre.

Here he outlines the problem to BBC

World Service’s, Science in Action.

As in so many things in life, there's

a real kind of paradox or a conundrum.

The global grid capacity by 2050

will have to increase by three times.

Electrical car ownership is set to

increase by a factor of 25. Solar and

wind generation is going to grow by

a factor of a hundred. All of these

things which we need to do to

decarbonise are going to require raw

materials and metals in particular.

So, as a society we’re faced with

this conundrum. We

need to decarbonise.

Professor Murton describes the

situation using two words. Firstly, he

calls it a conundrum – a problem

that is very difficult to solve. He

also calls it a paradox – a situation

that seems impossible because

it contains two opposite ideas.

Deep-sea mining could damage

the ocean, but paradoxically

it might provide rare metals

needed to decarbonise the planet.

At the heart of the problem is

that, in the future, green activities

like driving electric cars and

using solar power is going to

increase by a factor of a hundred.

If something increases by

a factor of a certain number, it

becomes multiplied that many times.

But another marine biologist,

Helen Scales, isn’t convinced.

Here she explains her doubts to

BBC World Service’s, Science in Action.

My concern at this point is that

deep-sea mining and deep-sea nodules

in particular are being seen as

a silver bullet to solve the climate

crisis, and in such a way as well

that I think, that we can hopefully

rely on life carrying on pretty

much as normal. My concern is

that it really will be opening a door

to something much more than

those tests – it’s leading down

a rather slippery slope I think,

towards this getting permission

for deep-sea mining to be

open on a commercial scale.

Helen worries that deep-sea mining

will be seen as a silver bullet

to the climate crisis – a simple and

instant solution to a complicated

problem. She thinks the tests

which have been permitted to assess

the difficulty of mining underwater

could open the door to mining on

a large scale which would damage

fragile marine eco-systems

beyond repair. If you open the door

to something, you allow something

new to start, or make it possible.

Helen thinks starting deep-sea

mining leads down a slippery

slope – a situation or habit that

is difficult to stop and is likely

to get worse and worse. And that

could spell the end for thousands

of marine animal and plant species.

Yes, our oceans need protection as

much as our land and skies - which

reminds me of my question, Sam.

Yes, you asked how many different

marine species live in the ocean

and I guessed it was b) 170,000.

Which was the wrong answer,

I’m afraid! There are estimated to

be around 700,000 marine species,

only about 226,000 of which have

been identified so far. OK, let’s

recap the vocabulary we’ve

learned from the programme,

starting with conundrum – a

problem that’s very difficult to fix.

A paradox describes a situation

that seems impossible because

it contains two opposite ideas.

If something grows by a factor

of ten, it becomes

multiplied ten times.

The term, a silver bullet, means

a simple solution to a complicated

problem - often a solution

that doesn’t actually exist.

A slippery slope is a situation

or course of action that is

difficult to stop and is likely

to get worse and worse.

And finally, the idiom to open

the door to something means

to allow something new to

start or to make it possible.

Once again, our six minutes

are up. Bye for now!

Goodbye!