A new article published on BBC indicates a new source of lithium and other metals, found on the ocean floors. Scientists discovered a large amount of oxygen at deep sea level where sunlight doesn’t reach. Traditionally, we think of oxygen as being the by-product of photosynthesis, nothing else creates oxygen in such large amounts. However this new discovery indicates that there are other ways oxygen is produced naturally in our world.
Small metal lumps found on the ocean floor have enough electrical energy within it to split, or electrolyse, molecules of sea water around it. This splits the water (H2O) into hydrogen and oxygen, giving off little bubbles of oxygen.
It is widely accepted that humanity understands little about the deep sea world, or much else for that matter. It is rather difficult to study and so the implications of messing around with it are unknown. The article states that mining companies are beginning to look at the possibility of extracting those metal bits in order to use them for industry.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c728ven2v9eo
Yes, let’s take away a crucial oxygen supply from the deep sea life ecosystem, see the catastrophic consequences and whine about it years later, even though all the information was present at the time. Like now. Like with fossil fuel mining. Like with arsenic pigments that were put into wallpaper and make up years ago.
Stone Age
Humanity stems from a long line of species that have slowly but surely, increased their knowledge of how to utilise the natural world, for their own present benefits. Awareness and consciousness of oneself and our surroundings has undoubtedly increased, even though we cannot measure it on a psychological level because our ancestors are extinct.
It is evident in the tools left behind, the increase in brain size and the fact that evolution goes in small steps. Giant leaps is simply not the way things work in this universe. We can consider chimpanzees (our closest living ancestor in the tree of life) and the amount of awareness they have of themselves and each other, which to be fair, it quite a lot compared to some other animals.
From the Stone Age, beginning circa 3.3 million years ago, tools have been slowly but surely developing in intricacy and effectiveness. Utilising fire has come in handy.
Around 100,000 to 70,000 years ago, our species took a leap in creativity, showing evidence of grinding pigments for paint, making jewellery and musical instruments.
Around 50,000 years ago, it took another leap. Cave art is a great demonstration of this. Around the same time, mega fauna began to go extinct. It could have been due to climate change, but we cannot deny the effect that our species has had on wildlife. Wherever we settle, mega fauna and general wildlife changes in that area.
Around 12,000 years ago, we hit the New Stone Age and the rise of agriculture and domestication. A new type of control and awareness comes into our possession.
Now we turn our hand to destroying forests for farm land and other things in our quest to generate more food and subsequent wealth.
Bronze and Iron Ages
Going into the Bronze and Iron Ages, population density increases and so the need for more food and farmland increases. As society develops and becomes more complex, our cognitive biases and primitive addictive traits take over. The struggle for land, power, greed, wealth, status takes over humanity. As does our curious and creative nature. In our curiosity and creativity, we discover amazing things about how life works and what our place is in it. Then the greed takes over the information and warps it into something we can consume.
Industrial and Information Ages
As we get into the industrial and information ages, our destructive nature truly takes new turns. We have slowly but surely destroyed a variety of habitats, decreased biodiversity in the soils, in the animal and plant kingdoms. We have pumped out increasing amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere due to industrial efforts creating a greenhouse effect and warming the planet. This isn’t the first time in the planet’s history that the surface temperature has increased, but before it happened slowly and life had a chance to adapt to it.
On top of slowly destroying the earth, we have begun to systemically destroy our own gut microbiome diversity, which is responsible for keeping our own bodies healthy. We create ever stronger drugs and use them recreationally because we can’t handle our everyday lives and want to escape it, destroying our bodies and brains in the process. We then create the most addictive thing known to man, the smart phone. And of course, social media.
Even after all this evidence that is pretty in your face at times, we have to petition companies to not mess with the deep sea ecosystem and remove a crucial source of oxygen. It’s like being the in Stone Age all over again. Back then, we needed animals for meat, skins, to make homes and weapons. Today we need metals and lithium to create new batteries for our present day lifestyle. We’ll do just fine today, we can deal with the consequences later.
If there is a later.
