Hello. This is 6 Minute English from
BBC Learning English. I’m Neil.
And I’m Sam.
Here at Six Minute English,
we often discuss the new inventions
and ideas scientists dream up to
fight climate change – technologies
like geo-engineering which could
reduce global warming by
reflecting sunlight back into space.
Often these ideas are controversial
because scientists disagree
over whether the technology is
possible, and whether, in some
cases, it could do
more harm than good.
In this programme, we’ll be
finding out about a new idea
to collect lumps of precious metals,
called nodules, from the bottom
of the ocean. The idea, known
as deep-sea mining, could
provide the metals like copper,
nickel and cobalt which are
needed for the green technology
used in electric car batteries
and other renewable energy.
But could deep-sea mining
actually damage delicate
ocean eco-systems as well?
We’ll be hearing from two experts
and learning some new vocabulary
soon, but first I have a question
for you, Sam. Mammals like
dolphins and whales represent
a tiny amount of all marine
biodiversity - the thousands of
animal species living in the sea.
Even all the different types of fish
combined make up less than 3% of
all living things in the ocean. So,
according to recent estimates by
Unesco oceanographers, how many
different marine species have their
home in the ocean? Is it:
a) 70,000?
b) 170,000?
c) 700,000?
I’ll guess there are around 170,000
animal species living in the sea.
OK, Sam, I’ll reveal the answer at
the end of the programme.
Deep-sea mining is supported by
some scientists because it could
provide the raw materials,
especially metals, needed to power
electric cars. Amongst them is,
Bramley Murton, a professor of
marine biology at Southampton’s
National Oceanographic Centre.
Here he outlines the problem to BBC
World Service’s, Science in Action.
As in so many things in life, there's
a real kind of paradox or a conundrum.
The global grid capacity by 2050
will have to increase by three times.
Electrical car ownership is set to
increase by a factor of 25. Solar and
wind generation is going to grow by
a factor of a hundred. All of these
things which we need to do to
decarbonise are going to require raw
materials and metals in particular.
So, as a society we’re faced with
this conundrum. We
need to decarbonise.
Professor Murton describes the
situation using two words. Firstly, he
calls it a conundrum – a problem
that is very difficult to solve. He
also calls it a paradox – a situation
that seems impossible because
it contains two opposite ideas.
Deep-sea mining could damage
the ocean, but paradoxically
it might provide rare metals
needed to decarbonise the planet.
At the heart of the problem is
that, in the future, green activities
like driving electric cars and
using solar power is going to
increase by a factor of a hundred.
If something increases by
a factor of a certain number, it
becomes multiplied that many times.
But another marine biologist,
Helen Scales, isn’t convinced.
Here she explains her doubts to
BBC World Service’s, Science in Action.
My concern at this point is that
deep-sea mining and deep-sea nodules
in particular are being seen as
a silver bullet to solve the climate
crisis, and in such a way as well
that I think, that we can hopefully
rely on life carrying on pretty
much as normal. My concern is
that it really will be opening a door
to something much more than
those tests – it’s leading down
a rather slippery slope I think,
towards this getting permission
for deep-sea mining to be
open on a commercial scale.
Helen worries that deep-sea mining
will be seen as a silver bullet
to the climate crisis – a simple and
instant solution to a complicated
problem. She thinks the tests
which have been permitted to assess
the difficulty of mining underwater
could open the door to mining on
a large scale which would damage
fragile marine eco-systems
beyond repair. If you open the door
to something, you allow something
new to start, or make it possible.
Helen thinks starting deep-sea
mining leads down a slippery
slope – a situation or habit that
is difficult to stop and is likely
to get worse and worse. And that
could spell the end for thousands
of marine animal and plant species.
Yes, our oceans need protection as
much as our land and skies - which
reminds me of my question, Sam.
Yes, you asked how many different
marine species live in the ocean
and I guessed it was b) 170,000.
Which was the wrong answer,
I’m afraid! There are estimated to
be around 700,000 marine species,
only about 226,000 of which have
been identified so far. OK, let’s
recap the vocabulary we’ve
learned from the programme,
starting with conundrum – a
problem that’s very difficult to fix.
A paradox describes a situation
that seems impossible because
it contains two opposite ideas.
If something grows by a factor
of ten, it becomes
multiplied ten times.
The term, a silver bullet, means
a simple solution to a complicated
problem - often a solution
that doesn’t actually exist.
A slippery slope is a situation
or course of action that is
difficult to stop and is likely
to get worse and worse.
And finally, the idiom to open
the door to something means
to allow something new to
start or to make it possible.
Once again, our six minutes
are up. Bye for now!
Goodbye!