Norway faces backlash over plans to mine the Arctic seafloor

Norway's plan to allow deep-sea mining in Arctic waters has raised concerns about its potential harm to marine life, including whales and other species that rely on the seafloor ecosystem.

Teresa Tomassoni reports for Inside Climate News.

In short:

Norway has designated over 100,000 square miles of Arctic waters for deep-sea mining, which could begin by 2025.
Environmental groups, including Greenpeace, warn that noise and habitat destruction from mining operations could severely impact marine ecosystems.
Deep-sea species, many of which are slow-growing and vulnerable, may face irreversible damage from such activities.

Key quote:

“You can’t break up the seafloor without risking everything, including species not even yet discovered or described, through connections that we are only beginning to understand.”

— David Santillo, marine and freshwater biologist at Greenpeace Research Laboratories

Why this matters:

Deep-sea mining poses a significant threat to fragile Arctic ecosystems. Disruptions from noise, light and habitat destruction could lead to irreversible harm, jeopardizing marine biodiversity and food chains critical to ocean health.

insideclimatenews.org

Norway faces backlash over plans to mine the Arctic seafloor

Fearing retaliation, scientists are struggling to share impacts of federal cuts

Top scientists find growing evidence that greenhouse gases are, in fact, a danger

Climate change ‘beyond scientific dispute,’ National Academies report says

Climate activist Bill McKibben to Houston: It’s solar’s time to shine

Corals won’t survive a warmer planet, a new study finds

Watch the sea claim yet another house in N.C.’s Outer Banks

Ghanaian women try to sustain oyster farming threatened by climate change

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.