Seabed mining is when people take minerals from the ocean floor. Some people think it's important for the economy, while others think it's bad for the environment. The Metals Company is a company that does deep-sea mining. They say their way of mining doesn't hurt the environment too much. They use machines that they control from far away to pick up rocks from the ocean floor. Then, they take out minerals like cobalt, nickel, copper, and manganese. The company wants to start mining in international waters by the end of 2025, but they need permission from the International Seabed Authority (ISA).

But some people worry about how seabed mining affects the environment. Many countries, like the UK, Brazil, Canada, France, and Germany, want to keep the ban on commercial mining because they're worried about the environment. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is against all deep-sea mining because they think it could hurt habitats and animals. The European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC) also wonders if we really need deep-sea mining, because some of the minerals we get aren't even in short supply.

The place in the north Pacific that The Metals Company wants to mine is called the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. It's a big part of the ocean between Hawaii and Mexico. The company says that mining in this zone would be less harmful to the environment than mining on land, like when we get nickel in Indonesia and the Philippines. They say that the part of the ocean where the rocks are has fewer plants and animals compared to other mining areas.

People who don't like seabed mining say that we should focus on recycling and finding ways to use the minerals we already have. They think that if we do that, we won't need to mine for new minerals as much. They also think that if we find different technologies, we won't need as many minerals in the future. Another company called Loke Minerals from Norway also thinks we need to study more about how seabed mining affects the environment.

The ISA is the group that gets to decide if we can do commercial deep-sea mining. They have a tough job because they have to think about the money it could bring and the risks to the environment. They need to make sure there are strong rules to protect the environment. The decision they make will decide the future of deep-sea mining and how it affects the environment.

Original news source: Is seabed mining an economic necessity or a hazard? (BBC)

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a few minutes to read the article and then ask them to summarize the main points in their own words. Afterward, have each group share their summaries with the class.
– Word Association
Instructions: Write the word "seabed mining" on the board. Ask students to brainstorm and write down as many words or phrases as they can think of that are related to this topic. After a few minutes, have students share their words and discuss their associations.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into two groups – one group in favor of seabed mining and the other group against it. Give each group a few minutes to come up with arguments to support their position. Then, conduct a class poll by having students raise their hands to indicate whether they are in favor or against seabed mining. After the poll, facilitate a discussion where students can share their reasons for their positions.
– Sketch It
Instructions: Provide each student with a blank piece of paper and ask them to draw a picture representing their opinion on seabed mining. Afterward, have students pair up and explain their drawings to their partners. Encourage discussion and exchange of ideas.
– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Assign each group either the "pros" or "cons" side of the seabed mining debate. Give them some time to discuss and write down their arguments. Then, have groups take turns presenting their arguments to the class. Afterward, facilitate a class discussion where students can respond to each other's arguments and share their own thoughts and opinions.

Seabed mining is when people take minerals from the ocean floor. Some people ? it's important for the economy, while others think it's bad for the environment. The Metals ? is a company that does deep-sea mining. They say their way of mining doesn't hurt the environment too much. They use machines that they ? from far away to pick up rocks from the ocean floor. Then, they take out minerals like cobalt, nickel, copper, and manganese. The company wants to start mining in ? waters by the end of 2025, but they need permission from the International Seabed Authority (ISA). But some people worry about how seabed mining affects the environment. Many countries, like the UK, Brazil, Canada, France, and ?, want to keep the ban on ? mining because they're worried about the environment. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is against all deep-sea mining because they think it could hurt habitats and ?. The European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC) also wonders if we really need deep-sea mining, because some of the minerals we get aren't even in short supply. The place in the north ? that The Metals Company wants to mine is called the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. It's a big part of the ocean between Hawaii and Mexico. The company says that ? in this zone would be less harmful to the environment than mining on land, like when we get nickel in ? and the Philippines. They say that the part of the ocean where the rocks are has ? plants and animals ? to other mining areas. People who don't like seabed mining say that we should focus on recycling and finding ways to use the minerals we already have. They think that if we do that, we won't need to mine for new minerals as much. They also think that if we find different technologies, we won't need as many minerals in the future. Another company called Loke Minerals from Norway also thinks we need to study more about how seabed mining affects the ?. The ISA is the group that gets to ? if we can do commercial deep-sea mining. They have a tough job because they have to think about the ? it could bring and the ? to the environment. They need to make sure there are strong rules to protect the environment. The decision they make will decide the future of deep-sea mining and how it affects the environment.

1. What is seabed mining and why do some people think it's important for the economy?
2. How would you feel if you lived near a place where seabed mining was happening? Why?
3. Do you think it's important to protect the environment? Why or why not?
4. What do you think are some potential risks of seabed mining on the environment?
5. How do you think deep-sea mining compares to mining on land in terms of its impact on the environment?
6. Do you think we should focus more on recycling and using the minerals we already have? Why or why not?
7. What are some possible alternative technologies that could reduce our need for mining in the future?
8. How do you think seabed mining could affect habitats and animals in the ocean?
9. Do you think it's fair for the International Seabed Authority to have the power to decide on commercial deep-sea mining? Why or why not?
10. What do you think are some important factors the International Seabed Authority should consider when making their decision?
11. How do you think the decision on whether to allow commercial deep-sea mining will impact the future of mining and the environment?
12. Do you think it's possible to find a balance between economic benefits and environmental protection in seabed mining? Why or why not?
13. How do you think studying more about how seabed mining affects the environment could be beneficial?
14. What are some ways we can ensure strong rules to protect the environment in commercial deep-sea mining?
15. Do you think it's worth the potential risks to the environment to pursue deep-sea mining? Why or why not?

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