16
Miners want to explore ocean's deep floor for precious rocks and minerals Coral reefs grow in the waters of Tatawa Besar, Komodo, Indonesia, April 30, 2015. Rising demand for copper, cobalt, gold and rare-earth elements vital in manufacturing smartphones and other high-tech products is causing a prospecting rush to the dark seafloor thousands of feet beneath the waves. Photo: AP/Dita Alangkara, File KINGSTON, Jamaica — The deep oceans cover more than half the globe. The freezing water contains valuable treasures in the form of rocks and minerals. They have never been touched by humans. However, this might all be about to change. Experts believe we are entering a period of deep seabed mining. Machines will be going under water to dig out some of the precious rocks and minerals. Scientists will use robots to collect minerals from the sea floor. Copper, cobalt and gold are all valuable minerals. They are used to make smartphones and other high-tech products. The undersea materials are needed because there are no longer enough of them on land. Some People Say Oceans Should Be Protected A group called the International Seabed Authority, or ISA, is in charge of the underwater world. It has been giving governments and companies permission to explore under the oceans. This has worried conservationists, or people who care about taking care of the environment. They believe the ocean's natural state must be protected. They also say not enough is known about the risks of pulling minerals from their natural settings. Michael Lodge works at ISA. He says there has been a lot more undersea exploration in the last five years. ISA is in charge of seabeds, or ocean floors, outside of the waters that surround a country. So far, it has given out 27 permits for undersea exploration, mostly since 2011. The permits are good for 15 years. They allow governments or companies to explore in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Robots Would Dive Deep To Collect Minerals Governments and companies have been moving quickly to join the exploration. Some experts believe deep-sea mining could start within the next five years. That means robots would be sent under water to collect the crushed minerals. The minerals would then be sent up through pipes and onto ships. Last month, a group of scientists asked ISA to stop giving out new mining permits. The group said it wants to protect some underwater areas first. Matthew Gianni works at the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition. He said that before any mining is allowed, experts need to really understand how it will affect the environment. So far, most of ISA's permits have been given for a large area of the Pacific Ocean near Mexico and the United States. The area is known to be rich in copper, cobalt and manganese. As part of a plan to help the environment, miners are not allowed to touch some of the areas. Scientists also want to explore the Western Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. ISA thinks one of those areas could provide up to one-fourth of the world's cobalt, which is a metal.

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Page 1: ls - cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com · Why is wind energy considered a re-newable natural resource? A. It can be found in a variety of places. B. It is completely non-polluting. C. The wind

Min

ers

wa

nt

to e

xp

lore

oc

ea

n's

de

ep

flo

or

for

pre

cio

us

roc

ks

an

d m

ine

rals

Co

ral re

efs

gro

w in

th

e w

ate

rs o

f Ta

taw

a B

esa

r, K

om

od

o,

Ind

on

esi

a, A

pril 30

, 20

15

. R

isin

g d

em

an

d f

or

co

pp

er,

co

ba

lt,

go

ld a

nd

ra

re-e

art

h e

lem

en

ts v

ita

l in

ma

nu

fac

turin

g

sma

rtp

ho

ne

s a

nd

oth

er

hig

h-t

ec

h p

rod

uc

ts is

ca

usi

ng

a

pro

spe

ctin

g r

ush

to

th

e d

ark

se

aflo

or

tho

usa

nd

s o

f fe

et

be

ne

ath

th

e w

ave

s. P

ho

to: A

P/D

ita

Ala

ng

ka

ra, File

KIN

GSTO

N, Ja

ma

ica

— T

he

de

ep

oc

ea

ns

co

ve

r m

ore

th

an

ha

lf t

he

glo

be

. Th

e f

ree

zin

g w

ate

r c

on

tain

s v

alu

ab

le

tre

asu

res

in t

he

fo

rm o

f ro

cks

an

d m

ine

rals

. Th

ey h

ave

ne

ve

r b

ee

n t

ou

ch

ed

by h

um

an

s.

Ho

we

ve

r, t

his

mig

ht

all

be

ab

ou

t to

ch

an

ge

. Exp

ert

s b

elie

ve

we

are

en

terin

g a

pe

rio

d o

f d

ee

p s

ea

be

d m

inin

g.

Ma

ch

ine

s w

ill b

e g

oin

g u

nd

er

wa

ter

to d

ig o

ut

som

e o

f th

e p

rec

iou

s ro

cks

an

d m

ine

rals

.

Sc

ien

tist

s w

ill u

se r

ob

ots

to

co

llec

t m

ine

rals

fro

m t

he

se

a f

loo

r. C

op

pe

r, c

ob

alt a

nd

go

ld a

re a

ll va

lua

ble

min

era

ls. Th

ey

are

use

d t

o m

ake

sm

art

ph

on

es

an

d o

the

r h

igh

-te

ch

pro

du

cts

. Th

e u

nd

ers

ea

ma

teria

ls a

re n

ee

de

d b

ec

au

se t

he

re a

re

no

lo

ng

er

en

ou

gh

of

the

m o

n la

nd

.

So

me

Pe

op

le S

ay

Oc

ea

ns

Sh

ou

ld B

e P

rote

cte

d

A g

rou

p c

alle

d t

he

In

tern

atio

na

l Se

ab

ed

Au

tho

rity

, o

r IS

A, is

in c

ha

rge

of

the

un

de

rwa

ter

wo

rld

. It

ha

s b

ee

n g

ivin

g

go

ve

rnm

en

ts a

nd

co

mp

an

ies

pe

rmis

sio

n t

o e

xp

lore

un

de

r th

e o

ce

an

s. T

his

ha

s w

orr

ied

co

nse

rva

tio

nis

ts, o

r p

eo

ple

wh

o c

are

ab

ou

t ta

kin

g c

are

of

the

en

viro

nm

en

t. T

he

y b

elie

ve

th

e o

ce

an

's n

atu

ral st

ate

mu

st b

e p

rote

cte

d. Th

ey a

lso

say n

ot

en

ou

gh

is

kn

ow

n a

bo

ut

the

ris

ks

of

pu

llin

g m

ine

rals

fro

m t

he

ir n

atu

ral se

ttin

gs.

Mic

ha

el Lo

dg

e w

ork

s a

t IS

A. H

e s

ays

the

re h

as

be

en

a lo

t m

ore

un

de

rse

a e

xp

lora

tio

n in

th

e la

st f

ive

ye

ars

.

ISA

is

in c

ha

rge

of

sea

be

ds,

or

oc

ea

n f

loo

rs, o

uts

ide

of

the

wa

ters

th

at

surr

ou

nd

a c

ou

ntr

y. So

fa

r, it

ha

s g

ive

n o

ut

27

pe

rmits

for

un

de

rse

a e

xp

lora

tio

n, m

ost

ly s

inc

e 2

01

1. Th

e p

erm

its

are

go

od

fo

r 15 y

ea

rs. Th

ey a

llow

go

ve

rnm

en

ts o

r

co

mp

an

ies

to e

xp

lore

in

th

e P

ac

ific

, A

tla

ntic

an

d In

dia

n O

ce

an

s.

Ro

bo

ts W

ou

ld D

ive

De

ep

To

Co

lle

ct

Min

era

ls

Go

ve

rnm

en

ts a

nd

co

mp

an

ies

ha

ve

be

en

mo

vin

g q

uic

kly

to

jo

in t

he

exp

lora

tio

n. So

me

exp

ert

s b

elie

ve

de

ep

-se

a

min

ing

co

uld

sta

rt w

ith

in t

he

ne

xt

five

ye

ars

. Th

at

me

an

s ro

bo

ts w

ou

ld b

e s

en

t u

nd

er

wa

ter

to c

olle

ct

the

cru

she

d

min

era

ls. Th

e m

ine

rals

wo

uld

th

en

be

se

nt

up

th

rou

gh

pip

es

an

d o

nto

sh

ips.

Last

mo

nth

, a

gro

up

of

scie

ntist

s a

ske

d ISA

to

sto

p g

ivin

g o

ut

ne

w m

inin

g p

erm

its.

Th

e g

rou

p s

aid

it

wa

nts

to

pro

tec

t

som

e u

nd

erw

ate

r a

rea

s firs

t.

Ma

tth

ew

Gia

nn

i wo

rks

at

the

De

ep

Se

a C

on

serv

ati

on

Co

alit

ion

. H

e s

aid

th

at

be

fore

an

y m

inin

g is

allo

we

d, e

xp

ert

s

ne

ed

to

re

ally

un

de

rsta

nd

ho

w it

will

aff

ec

t th

e e

nviro

nm

en

t.

So

fa

r, m

ost

of

ISA

's p

erm

its

ha

ve

be

en

giv

en

fo

r a

la

rge

are

a o

f th

e P

ac

ific

Oc

ea

n n

ea

r M

exic

o a

nd

th

e U

nite

d

Sta

tes.

Th

e a

rea

is

kn

ow

n t

o b

e r

ich

in

co

pp

er,

co

ba

lt a

nd

ma

ng

an

ese

. A

s p

art

of

a p

lan

to

he

lp t

he

en

viro

nm

en

t,

min

ers

are

no

t a

llow

ed

to

to

uc

h s

om

e o

f th

e a

rea

s.

Sc

ien

tist

s a

lso

wa

nt

to e

xp

lore

th

e W

est

ern

Pa

cific

, A

tla

ntic

an

d In

dia

n O

ce

an

s. ISA

th

inks

on

e o

f th

ose

are

as

co

uld

pro

vid

e u

p t

o o

ne

-fo

urt

h o

f th

e w

orld

's c

ob

alt, w

hic

h is

a m

eta

l.

Page 2: ls - cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com · Why is wind energy considered a re-newable natural resource? A. It can be found in a variety of places. B. It is completely non-polluting. C. The wind

Sc

ien

tist

Wa

rns

Wo

rk S

ho

uld

Go

Slo

wly

"Th

e c

on

ce

ntr

atio

ns

of

min

era

ls t

ha

t yo

u f

ind

in

th

e s

ea

be

d a

re v

ery

mu

ch

ric

he

r th

an

wh

at's

left

on

la

nd

," ISA

's

Lod

ge

sa

id. "S

o d

em

an

d is

on

ly g

oin

g t

o in

cre

ase

."

Do

ug

las

Mc

Ca

ule

y is

a s

cie

ntist

at

the

Un

ive

rsity o

f C

alif

orn

ia in

Sa

nta

Ba

rba

ra. H

e t

hin

ks

the

wo

rld

is

ne

arin

g a

revo

lutio

n in

un

de

rse

a e

xp

lora

tio

n, a

nd

he

is

wo

rrie

d a

bo

ut

its

eff

ec

t.

"(It

loo

ks)

un

co

mfo

rta

bly

sim

ilar

to w

ha

t w

e d

id t

o la

nd

in

th

e 1

700s

an

d 1

800s,

" M

cC

au

ley s

aid

. H

e a

dd

ed

th

at

wh

en

pe

op

le b

eg

an

to

min

e a

nd

bu

ild o

n la

nd

, m

ore

an

d m

ore

typ

es

of

an

ima

ls d

ied

ou

t.

Still,

th

ere

are

ce

rta

in t

hin

gs

pe

op

le c

an

do

to

ap

pro

ac

h s

ea

be

d m

inin

g in

telli

ge

ntly. First

, h

e s

aid

, m

ine

rs s

ho

uld

lea

rn w

ha

t p

lan

ts a

nd

an

ima

ls a

re d

ow

n t

he

re b

efo

re w

e m

ine

. Se

co

nd

, IS

A s

ho

uld

go

slo

wly

on

min

ing

pe

rmits

an

d s

tud

y t

he

eff

ec

ts o

f m

inin

g a

s it is

ha

pp

en

ing

. Th

ird

, IS

A s

ho

uld

se

t u

p s

yst

em

s o

f p

rote

cte

d a

rea

s b

efo

re,

no

t a

fte

r, m

inin

g s

tart

s.

"Yo

u c

an

't r

ea

lly b

lam

e p

eo

ple

in

th

e 1

700s

for

the

da

ma

ge

th

ey d

id t

o t

he

en

viro

nm

en

t,"

Mc

Ca

ule

y s

aid

. "B

ut

we

ce

rta

inly

are

to

bla

me

if

we

do

n't d

o s

ea

be

d m

inin

g p

rop

erly."

Page 3: ls - cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com · Why is wind energy considered a re-newable natural resource? A. It can be found in a variety of places. B. It is completely non-polluting. C. The wind

1. 2.

3. 4.

Read It!

Read It!

Read It! Read It!

Why are undersea

materials such as copper,

cobalt and gold needed?

How would the

minerals be mined

from the bottom of the

ocean?

According to the article,

what is the definition of a

conservationist?

When more and more people

mined on land in the

1700s/1800s animals die out.

What do you think could

happen as a result of mining

undersea?

Page 4: ls - cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com · Why is wind energy considered a re-newable natural resource? A. It can be found in a variety of places. B. It is completely non-polluting. C. The wind

1. 2.

3. 4.

Watch It!

Watch It!

Watch It! Watch It!

Go to the following Brainpop Video:

http://tinyurl.com/gqngh9q

1. Click Play on the video.

2. Answer questions from

Cards #2-8 on your lab sheet.

Why isn’t glass a natural resource?

A. It isn’t used by humans

B. It’s nonrenewable

C. It isn’t found in nature

D. It has a limited number of uses

Which of these is a true statement about

natural resources?

A. Someday, humans will run out of fossil fuels.

B. Using wind energy will make us feel better

about ourselves.

C. As soon as they’re available, everyone

should drive solar-powered cars.

D. Fuel cells are the most important

technology we’ve ever developed.

Why are trees considered natural resources?

A. They provide valuable shade that no other

resource can provide

B. Humans can use them to produce paper,

lumber, fuel and other products.

C. They are an important source of firewood

for campfires.

D. They grow back after they are cut down

Page 5: ls - cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com · Why is wind energy considered a re-newable natural resource? A. It can be found in a variety of places. B. It is completely non-polluting. C. The wind

5. 6.

7. 8.

Watch It!

Watch It!

Watch It! Watch It!

Why is wind energy considered a re-

newable natural resource?

A. It can be found in a variety of

places.

B. It is completely non-polluting.

C. The wind can blow incredibly

fast.

D. It is unlikely that we will run out of

wind.

Which of the following is the most sensible

way to conserve natural resources?

A. Stop using electricity entirely.

B. Bike or walk to school instead of riding

in a gasoline-powered car.

C. Never use any products made from

trees.

D. Never ride in a car.

How does recycling conserve natural resources?

A. It allows us to re-use products instead of

manufacturing new ones.

B. It prevents garbage from being burned.

C. It saves on the amount of fuel used by

garbage trucks.

D. It saves the amount of plastic used to make

garbage bags.

Which of the following is a key difference

between renewable and nonrenewable

resources?

A. All non-renewable resources pollute the

environment; renewable resources don’t

B. Non-renewable resources exist in

unlimited quantities; renewable resources

don’t

C. Non-renewable resources exist in limited

quantities; renewable resources don’t

Page 6: ls - cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com · Why is wind energy considered a re-newable natural resource? A. It can be found in a variety of places. B. It is completely non-polluting. C. The wind

1. 2.

3. 4.

Explore It!

Explore It!

Explore It! Explore It!

Click on the Auto Wreckers

and explore. What are some

ways cars are recycled?

Click on Northwest Recycle

City. Choose the house. List at

least 3 things that should NOT

be thrown away with the

regular garbage.

Go to the following site:

http://tinyurl.com/h72p5bx

Go to Southwest

recycle city. Find the

school. Click inside the

classroom and define

reduce, reuse and

recycle (in your own

words-paraphrase)

Page 7: ls - cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com · Why is wind energy considered a re-newable natural resource? A. It can be found in a variety of places. B. It is completely non-polluting. C. The wind

1. 2.

3. 4.

Assess It!

Assess It!

Assess It! Assess It!

Page 8: ls - cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com · Why is wind energy considered a re-newable natural resource? A. It can be found in a variety of places. B. It is completely non-polluting. C. The wind

5. 6.

7. 8.

Assess It!

Assess It!

Assess It! Assess It!

Page 9: ls - cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com · Why is wind energy considered a re-newable natural resource? A. It can be found in a variety of places. B. It is completely non-polluting. C. The wind

1.

Research It!

There are three main types of

fossil fuels. Draw a picture or

symbol for each one, and

label whether it is a solid, a

liquid or a gas.

Illustrate It!

Using the internet, research each of

the following alternative energy

sources: hydroelectric, solar,

geothermal, nuclear, and biomass---

Write a brief description of each one

on your lab sheet, and identify which

are renewable and which are

nonrenewable.

Think about your day.

Starting when you wake up

in the morning, describe all

of the natural resources you

use from the time you wake

up to the time you arrive at

school.

1.

Write It!

What is the main difference

between a renewable and a

nonrenewable resource?

2.

Write It!

Page 10: ls - cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com · Why is wind energy considered a re-newable natural resource? A. It can be found in a variety of places. B. It is completely non-polluting. C. The wind

Gasoline

Metal ore

Petroleum oil coal

Natural gas

Page 11: ls - cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com · Why is wind energy considered a re-newable natural resource? A. It can be found in a variety of places. B. It is completely non-polluting. C. The wind

Marble

coal

limestone

Page 12: ls - cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com · Why is wind energy considered a re-newable natural resource? A. It can be found in a variety of places. B. It is completely non-polluting. C. The wind

Sugar cane

clay

salt

halite

polyester shirt cotton

Page 13: ls - cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com · Why is wind energy considered a re-newable natural resource? A. It can be found in a variety of places. B. It is completely non-polluting. C. The wind

Na

tura

l

Re

sou

rce

s

Manmade

Resources

Page 14: ls - cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com · Why is wind energy considered a re-newable natural resource? A. It can be found in a variety of places. B. It is completely non-polluting. C. The wind

Renewable N

on

ren

ew

ab

le

leather

Page 15: ls - cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com · Why is wind energy considered a re-newable natural resource? A. It can be found in a variety of places. B. It is completely non-polluting. C. The wind

Read it!

1.

2.

3.

4.

Watch It!

View the Brainpop Video and answer questions on task cards 2-8.

Research It!

Name:______________________ Class:____________ Date:______

Input Stations

Explore It!

Task Card 2:

Task Card 3:

Task Card 4:

Word Definition

Reduce

Reuse

Recycle

Task Card 1:

List of items you can’t throw in

the trash:

Ways cars are recycled :

___________2.

___________3.

Type of Energy Description Renewable?

(Y or N)?

Hydroelectric

Solar

Geothermal

Nuclear

Biomass

___________4.

___________5.

___________6.

___________7.

___________8.

Page 16: ls - cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com · Why is wind energy considered a re-newable natural resource? A. It can be found in a variety of places. B. It is completely non-polluting. C. The wind

Output Stations

Write It!

Task Card 1:

Task Card 2:

Output Stations Continued

Illustrate It!

Assess It!

Organize It!

Reflection: How did you do? What did you find easy? What

mistakes did you make?

Don’t forget to label your diagram!

___________1.

___________2.

___________3.

___________4.

___________5.

___________6.

___________7.

___________8.

Teacher Initials: