|
The
seafloor, especially in parts of the Pacific Ocean, is covered
by potato-shaped rocks known as polymetallic nodules that are
filled with metals used to make lithium-ion batteries for
electric vehicles.
Many scientists say it's unclear whether and to what extent
removing these nodules could damage the ocean’s ecosystem.
Automaker BMW, tech giant Google and even Rio Tinto, the world’s
second-largest mining company, have called for a temporary ban
on the practice.
The metals in those nodules can be used to build electric
vehicle (EV) batteries, cell phones, solar panels and other
electronic devices. They are separate from rare earths, a group
of 17 metals also used in EVs.
With climate change escalating, governments are under pressure
to rein in emissions – especially from the transportation
sector, which was responsible for about 20% of global emissions
in 2022.
By 2040, the world will need to use twice the amount of these
metals as it is using today in order to meet global energy
transition targets, according to the International Energy
Agency. And the world will need at least four times today's
amount in reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.
(Editing by Julia Wolfe, Katy Daigle and Claudia Parsons)
[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2022 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
