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No. 134: Mining Our Oceans

Pacific Indigenous peoples are fighting to protect the ocean from deep-sea mining operations as the U.N.'s International Seabed Authority finalizes new regulations.

No. 134: Mining Our Oceans
Photo by Marek Okon / Unsplash

If there's one thing to take away from this week's issue, it's that social impact is not always black and white. We're digging into a trifecta of topics this week that intersect at deep-sea mining: clean energy technology, ocean conservation, and cultural sustainability. I have my own take on where we might find compromise between these efforts, and I'd love to hear where you'd balance the scales yourself.

While we're on the topic of clean energy, I'm featuring a B Corp this week that helps homeowners embrace climate-friendly technology. They have opportunities in Boston, Denver, and Los Angeles, so if those cities are near and dear to your heart, be sure to take a look. I'm also sharing a website focused on nonprofit education that includes a guide to finding a nonprofit job – super helpful to get your bearings if you haven't considered a nonprofit job before.

~ Greg

What we're reading

Pacific Indigenous peoples are fighting to protect the ocean from deep-sea mining operations as the U.N.'s International Seabed Authority finalizes new regulations. (Grist)

  • As clean energy technologies have grown more popular, we have greatly increased the demand for key minerals like cobalt, nickel, and copper. Now companies are turning their attention to the seafloor as a new source of profit.
    • Part of why I'm so drawn to this issue is because it reflects a tension between two social impact topics: climate change and the associated shift to clean energy acting in opposition to conservation efforts.
    • Currently, over 500,000 square miles of ocean have been approved for mining exploration. Only a fraction of that area contains mineral deposits, but at this scale we're talking about potential revenue in the trillions of dollars.
  • Unfortunately, mining these materials comes with some serious tradeoffs like destroying marine habitats and contaminating food sources. When machinery kicks up metals, they could be absorbed into sea creatures that find their way to our dinner plates – not unlike what we're seeing today with microplastics.
  • For Indigenous peoples, mining has cultural and spiritual impacts as well. The ocean is sometimes a resting place for their ancestors, meaning mining is similar to digging up a gravesite.
    • In response, they are petitioning the ISA for regulations that require the consent of Indigenous peoples before any mining operations begin.
  • I'm not sure there's a "right" answer here, and I tend to defer to those most impacted by it. Based on their feedback, this is where I think we'll find compromise:
    • Some island nations actively welcome deep-sea mining as a chance to grow their financial fortunes. I think they should be able to do so – many of them are experiencing the most visible impacts of climate change, and mining could be a way to invest in the technology that ensures their preservation.
    • Those nations should work with their Indigenous peoples to find a compromise, and I suspect that compromise is mining in areas further from home. Companies need to be mindful of the environmental and cultural sustainability considerations, and they are more likely to succeed if they look further afield.

Job of the week

Sometimes people want to make a difference but don't always know how to get started or are presented with so many ways to help that it becomes overwhelming. It helps to have a roadmap – and that's why the featured company this week, Elephant Energy, resonated with me.

They are a Certified B Corp that helps homeowners adopt more energy-efficient, climate-friendly technology by giving them a personalized roadmap and finding rebates to offset the cost of improvements. You can find hybrid roles in Denver, Boston, and Los Angeles, but if I had to pick one that sounded the most fun, I'd say to take a look at the Partnerships & Events Marketing Manager opportunity in Boston – you'd be building community partnerships, hosting events, and holding down the fort at industry events.

If you're looking for something at one of their other locations, check out the rest of their job openings. They even have a remote internship opportunity if you're still finalizing your summer plans.

Community roundup

  • Fiery Furnace at Arches National Park has been closed indefinitely due budget cuts at the National Park Service. (USA Today)
  • Colorado is poised to pass new gun control laws that would restrict the purchase of semiautomatic weapons and outlaw detachable magazines. (Denver Post)
    • This is meant to reduce the impact of mass shootings since magazines would need to be reloaded one bullet at a time. I tend to get behind this kind of legislation, but it is almost certain to be challenged in court.
  • The FDA has approved the first treatment for Prader-Willi syndrome, which is a genetic disorder affecting 50,000 people in the U.S. who experience intense and persistent hunger. (Reuters)
    • The cost of the treatment, unfortunately and unsurprisingly, is nearly half a million dollars per year. It reminds me of the breakthrough treatment for sickle cell anemia that we talked about last year. Treating sickle cell is similarly eye-watering in its costs.
  • Scientists have discovered an array of new ocean species in the Antarctic where an ice shelf broke away from a glacier, hinting at new ecosystems beneath the ice. (CBS News)
  • A district judge ruled that Alabama cannot prosecute people who help others seek abortion treatment out of state. (The Guardian)
    • The threat of prosecution had already impacted one organization that provided financial assistance for low-income people seeking help. In Alabama, abortion is illegal at any state of pregnancy with no exceptions for rape or incest.

Civic corner

  • I talked about Columbia's financial ultimatum in a past issue, and now Harvard is in the hot seat to the tune of $9 billion. For comparison, the government had threatened $400 million in contracts and grants when they went after Columbia. (Reuters)
    • Here and elsewhere, the government is using the threat of financial insecurity to force behavior change. In this case, they're alleging antisemitic behavior at top U.S. universities, although coupled with the ICE raids on students, it feels more antagonistic than principled.
    • One could make the argument that this is the same playbook that they're using with tariffs: the U.S. government has the upper hand financially and is using that position to choke off support until it gets what it wants, whether that's a reconfiguration of supply chains or triggering job loss at American universities.
  • The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has released its Annual Threat Assessment and left out climate change after it was present in the past 11 reports. (Axios)
    • I'll admit this is a longer-term concern, but it's definitely real: we've discussed how the effects of climate change will impact migration patterns and resource contention, creating conflicts that could require military involvement. For a reminder, take a look at the "backup city" in the Philippines from No. 124: Resilient Cities.
  • Iowa has submitted a plan to the Department of Education that would remove the restrictions on how it uses federal funding. (The 74)
    • Critics have two main concerns. The first is that federal funding is earmarked for certain uses, including support to low-income students and schools. They are concerned that the state could redirect that funding away from Title 1 schools.
    • The second is associated with the rise of private voucher programs which are intended to redirect public school funding to private schools. The state could make the case that spending the money on Title 1 schools is not the best way to benefit low-income students and use that as rationale to invest in private voucher programs – and as we've discussed in the past, that has not always gone well for public schools.

Hot job opportunities

Resource of the week

I've spent my career on the for-profit side of business, but with so many nonprofits in the U.S. – about 2 million per Statista – it's often worth checking out their job opportunities as well. Many of them have salary and benefit packages on par with for-profit companies, something that surprised me when I started researching nonprofit job opportunities a few years ago.

Plenty of job titles translate directly to nonprofits, but there are a few that I've seen repeatedly that are either unique to nonprofits or take on a different perspective. I'm thinking of roles like Development Director, Grant Writer, and Partnership Manager for example. If the descriptions of those roles appeal to you but you aren't quite sure how to get started, I'd recommend checking out NonprofitReady.org. I've shared some nonprofit resources in the past, but I like that this one includes role training and guidance on how to find a nonprofit job.

Test your knowledge

Last week, I asked about a timeless building material that's seeing renewed interest for its impressive carbon sequestration properties: wood.

Yes, the answer was that simple, which is kind of the point, isn't it? Modern engineered wood products are increasingly popular in green building because the carbon absorbed during tree growth remains locked in the wood after harvesting it. Wood can sequester about one ton of carbon dioxide per cubic meter when used in construction. Not too shabby – and the results are often stunning.

This week, I'm turning an eye towards the intersection of banking and social impact:

Which social entrepreneur won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for pioneering the concepts of microcredit and microfinance?

Email me your guess, and I'll send one lucky winner a couple of One Work stickers!

I met a good friend for coffee last week and before we knew it, three hours had passed. There's something to be said for having people in your life you can't get enough of – so who are you going to meet for coffee this week?