Humans do not need to mine the ocean. The proven reserves of existing mines and future projects are more than enough for decades. Anyone who says otherwise is

Humans do not need to mine the ocean. The proven reserves of existing mines and future projects are more than enough for decades. Anyone who says otherwise is only looking to save a dollar and will cut costs on environmental sustainability. The USA is sitting on millions of tons of copper while watching other countries mine it out of theirs. We could supply the whole world for decades on our own if we wanted to restore our mining industry. But there's no real economic need for US minerals. I would argue there might be a strategic need for them, but not an economic one. There is certainly no economic imperative to mine the ocean floor in the face of the potential environmental harm it may cause. I question it's morality on the basis of balancing mankind's needs versus our calling to manage our resources properly. Wouldn't this money be better spent recycling e-waste where the copper and gold content is significantly higher and the environmental impact is demonstrably positive?