Deep Sea Mining and the Future of Mankind

This is an opinion post which will clash with monied interests.  Stats will be available elsewhere and are likely argued over.  My contention is that mankind is headed for a disaster.  Climate change is denied by many in power while others see opportunities to enrich themselves.

Recently heard a CBC radio spot on deep sea mining.  On one hand it was pointed out that dealing with climate change we need to get more minerals that the earth is running out of.  Those essential for electric vehicles minerals are available in our oceans.  On the other hand it is very likely that there will be a negative impact on climate change.  

Quite the conundrum--we need to mine the oceans and we need to deal with climate change.  Have we learned about how mother nature works?  Forest management is supposedly more professional and long term, but as I write this the weather is noting that we will have smoke in our air again, even though we live hundreds of miles from any forest fires. 

Time to examine root causes.  Greed has been a motivating force, tending to be short term.   Man has always been able to find more resources and have decided we know best how to use them.  It seems the earth can support more people than ever, but can it really?  There is still a lot of misery in the world and we can feel Mother Nature fighting back.  

What to do?  I am in favor of cleaner methods of mining and maybe better recycling, but is that enough?

The core problem is overpopulation with the rest of the world catching up to the wealthier west in their standard of living.  Medicine has prolonged life and hopefully more of us will survive longer to enjoy life's beauties.  Remote tropical islands had faced similar problems and developed drastic measures in some cases involving infanticide or senicide.  Can we take a long view? 

 We know trends that lower birth rate.  Gender equality, has lowered birth rates in western cultures and seems to work in other cultures.  Getting more industrialized (or westernized) is another way of looking at it.  Many births are not planned and could be avoided with sex education and making contraception more easily accessible.  If these do not solve the problem we may have to consider more serious steps. 

Do you think we have a choice?  Or do you care what happens to later generations?

A man who had a bigger understanding of the universe was Carl Sagan.  He had many relevant things to say; check http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/06/cosmos-revisited-40-years-later.html

Naomi Klein, an environmental activist is worth studying her perspective.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/02/this-changes-everything-deserves-major.html