“The history of the nuclear power industry offers a cautionary tale for the growing deep-sea minerals (DSM) industry, with many of the same players involved in the anti-DSM campaign and using the same playbook, amplified with mastery of social media,” writes Erika Ilves, Chief Strategy Officer at The Metals Company, in her abstract for the Deep Sea Minerals 2022 conference in Bergen, Norway, October 25-27.
“Following the discovery of polymetallic nodules in the deep sea during a four-year global expedition of the HMS Challenger almost 150 years ago, ushering an era of excitement about the scientific discoveries and mineral riches that lay on the bottom of the ocean, the public perception of their potential extraction has been on a roller-coaster ride, bouncing from epic and ingenious to risky and even evil,” she says.
Attend the DEEP SEA MINERALS Conference 2022
Bergen, October 25-27
“Empowered by a strong set of values and beliefs, the anti-DSM campaign has been remarkably effective at propagating a simple yet compelling narrative. As is often the case in narrative warfare, the main casualty is public understanding of key issues and trade-offs,” Erika Ilves concludes.
The Metals Company will give two more talks at Deep Sea Minerals 2022:
- Pyrometallurgical and Future Zero-Waste Processing of CCZ Polymetallic Nodules
- Jeffrey Donald, Head of On-Shore Development at The Metals Company
- Lifecycle Analysis
- Erica Ocampo, Chief Sustainability Officer at The Metals Company
