to pluck individual metal nodules from the seabed, rather than vacuuming them up along with biodiversity-rich sediment as other mining companies do. The AI-equipped robots can be programmed to recognize sea life, like sponges or worms living on individual nodules, and leave them in place.
on mining companies to do better, says Andrew Friedman, the project lead on seabed mining at the Pew Charitable Trust’s campaign for ocean conservation. But voluntary label accreditation is not a substitute for strong regulation. “Even if a segment of the consumer base is engaged with thinking about their supply chain, it’s ultimately the regulatory standards which will have the most influence on industry behavior,” he says.
In a male-dominated industry, Grogan is used to being the only woman in the boardroom and not having her voice heard. She can’t count the number of times she’s been asked to go fetch tea or coffee, or been directed to the back of the room, even though she is co-founder of a mining company. “I literally have to fight for a seat at the table,” she says. But she relishes the battle. “When the dinosaurs say it can’t be done, I can’t help but smile.
Why do mining companies even have PR departments when time will just do the job for free?
$ABD/$USD = 1