Our Project 

Purpose

We are interested in this topic because we would like to figure out which one is better for the environment and if one of them should be our primary mining technique. We plan to do research to propose a plan so that these mining techniques do not negatively affect the environment. We are going to do an interview with someone who has a lot of knowledge about deep sea mining and our end goal is to find a solution and create a plan to mitigate the damage caused by deep sea and land mining 

For our project we will do a deep dive into the affects deep sea vs. land mining. We are interested in this topic because we would like to figure out which one is better for the environment and if one of them should be the primary mining technique. We will accomplish this by crafting a proposed plan and by doing an interview with an expert about which mining technique is better for the environment and if there is a way to better protect the environment but still satisfy supplier needs.

Issues

One issue involving deep sea mining is that it can negatively affect the seafloor. Deep sea mining physically disturbs the seafloor by scraping, cutting, and vacuuming the surface to extract minerals. This process destroys the natural structure of the seabed, flattening features like ridges and this disruption could prevent the seafloor from recovering for decades or possibly even longer 

Another issue is that deep sea mining can also damage underwater habitats. Deep sea mining threatens habitats by removing or burying the structures that many deep sea organisms rely on for shelter and feeding. The process destroys fragile ecosystems, such as sponge and coral communities, that have taken thousands of years to form which may never recover due to slow growth.

Throughout our research we have found that land mining can contaminate water and soil. Land mining contaminates water and soil through the release of heavy metals and toxic chemicals used in the extraction process. Mine drainage forms when minerals react with water and air which creates an acidic runoff that seeps into nearby soil and waterways. This can spread through groundwater which affects water quality far from the mining site.

We have also discovered that land mining can cause indigenous communities to relocate. Land mining needs large areas of land which may require local or indigenous communities to relocate by clearing large areas of land which can include homes, farms and other structures. This displacement could potentially lead to long term displacement and social and economic challenges for the affected communities.