In our first episode of the Seabed Mining as a National Security Threat series, co-hosts Elisa and Yvette welcome on Matthew Gianni, Co-Founder, Political and Policy Advisor for the Deep Sea Conservation Commission. With over 30 years experience in marine conservation, Matt breaks down the fundamentals of seabed mining with a focus on the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ). What laws and treaties govern the CCZ? And why is it of strategic interest to our allies and enemies alike?
Matthew Gianni is the Co-Founder, Political and Policy Advisor for the Deep Sea Conservation Commission.
Seabed Mining as a National Security Threat is a five-part series on the national and global security risks of deep sea mining. The ocean floor contains vast quantities of minerals critical for powering today’s technologies, from rechargeable batteries to advanced defense applications. The Clarion Clipperton Zone is ground zero, as companies and countries alike race to stake claim over this new mining frontier. Yet the potential for environmental damage is great––scraping the ocean floor to extract rare minerals could destroy deep sea habitats, dismantle ocean ecosystems, and dig us into far worse problems than supply and demand. In this series we’ll discuss the laws of mining the sea, who’s getting involved, the private sector’s role, and what a seabed mining future might look like for a fragile planet earth.