Unit 3

Question 1

The ocean floor is a source of what?

Answer 1

mineral and fossil fuel resources

Question 2

What is driving the increasing demand for resources?

Answer 2

growing affluent urban populations

Question 3

What new products are driving the increasing demand for Nickel, Manganese and Cobalt?

Answer 3

lithium ion batteries (poly metallic nodules = rich in all three)

Question 4

What are lithium ion batteries used for?

Answer 4

a storage method for electrically generated renewable energies

Question 5

What is the area rich in (Nickel, Manganese and Cobalt) these deposits?

Answer 5

Between Hawaii and Mexico
known as the Clarion-Clipperton zone

Question 6

Why is the Clarion-Clipperton zone so important but difficult to access?

Answer 6

Contain more than all known land resources combined
PROBLEMS:
- lack legal framework
- costly and expensive to harvest
- machines can’t handle pressure (300x more that pressure on land)
- often found below 3000m

Question 7

What are the three substances found within a Polymetallic Nodule?

Answer 7

Nickel, Manganese and Cobalt

Question 8

What is the International Sea Bed Authority (ISA) and what do they do?

Answer 8

department of the UN, issues exploratory licences to companies who wish to explore the seabed for minerals in international waters

Question 9

Who do the ISA work with?

Answer 9

167 member states + EU

Question 10

Why do many scientist have concerns over mining the sea floor on an industrial scale?

Answer 10

• Warn that it could be environmentally devastating, because of the pressure its a poorly understood ecosystem
• Scurry dumped after extraction could also be a hazard if dumped high up (could drift and disrupt other ecosystems)

Question 11

What did scientists discover in 1977?

Answer 11

first ecosystem discovered 2.5 km deep

Question 12

How could mining affect what scientists discovered in 1997?

Answer 12

could destroy microbes that have possibility in medicines (live on nodules)

Question 13

What did scientists do in 1989 to investigate the effects of mining on the sea floor?

Answer 13

stimulated a mining operation, 3 decades later, tracks were still left on the sea floor
found bacteria absorb carbon = carbon sink

Question 14

What are some of the arguments for seafloor mining?

Answer 14

• could be necessary for metals required to meet the transition to a low carbon community (circular community)
• high demands need to be met
• reduces cost of switching to renewables (less competition for communities)

Question 15

What are some of the arguments against sea floor mining?

Answer 15

• scientists have warned large scale, severe and irreversible damage to ocean floors
• too little known about deep parts of ocean
• risk of leaks and fuel spills
• unsure of impacts on the nutrients cycle
• mining below 200m can cause harmful noise, vibration and light pollution

Question 16

Where is ‘recoverable’ oil and gas found?

Answer 16

found in shallow waters, often found on continental shelves (thus within countries EEZ’s)

Question 17

How does the distribution of recoverable oil and gas in oceans lead to unequal economic development opportunities?

Answer 17

landlocked countries cannot access them = conflicts
countries with oil and gas hold political and economical leverage over countries without
corruption, the money doesn’t benefit population, it benefits MNC’S

Question 18

When was the Falklands War over oil and who was involved?

Answer 18

April to June 1982
(population less than 3000)
fought with Argentina
U.K, France, Spain also involved

Question 19

900 people lost their lives. Why was there conflict?

Answer 19

British claimed territory due to oil reserves but Argentina protested saying they should have claim

Question 20

How many barrels of oil are thought to be in the Falkland islands?

Answer 20

60 billion barrels under sea bed (most located in EEZ)

Question 21

In 2010, what licences did Britain issue to oil companies and what for?

Answer 21

licences to carry out exploratory drilling to determine the quantity and quality of oil, Argentina protested to UN

Question 22

Why is there a dispute in the South China Sea?

Answer 22

China created 10 dash line (including Taiwan)
over the Spratly Islands, which are largely uninhabited
Countries including China ant to lay claim to these islands to expand their EEZ’s to gain access to the resources in South China Sea

Question 23

Why is the South China Sea so important?

Answer 23

• estimated 21%of all global trade passes
• in 2016 $3.37 trillion passed through transit

Question 24

What did China start doing to the islands in 2014?

Answer 24

Began to create artificial islands and militarist them creating tensions

Question 25

What are the countries involved in the South China Sea dispute?

Answer 25

Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, Philippines and China

Question 26

What did Manila accuse China of doing in June 2019?

Answer 26

accused Chinese trawler of ramming Filipino fishing boat with 22 people on board (saved by Vietnamese

Question 27

What did UN say about China's acts?

Answer 27

They said it was illegal but have made no attempts to stop them

Question 28

Why is there issues with Sovereignty over the Arctic Ocean and its resources?

Answer 28

6 key countries (Russia, Canada, Denmark) have an EEZ that extends into Arctic ocean, therefore have claim over resources has been growing tension due to the growing economic opportunities resulting from climate change

Question 29

Why are Russia trying to lay claim to Arctic Ocean that is outside of their EEZ?

Answer 29

saying that their continental shelf goes beyond their EEZ - want the resources (they planted Russian flag on sea floor

Question 30

What are some of the resources located in the Arctic Ocean?

Answer 30

15% of untapped oil 30% of untapped gas fish

Question 31

How are the indigenous populations in the Arctic affected from the unequal access to ocean resources?

Answer 31

live off the ecosystem hunting natural resources: fish, reindeer, caribou, whales, seals and birds resource exploitation has damaged fragile arctic environments

Question 32

What is the case study for indigenous people and inequalities they face?

Answer 32

The Gwich'in community of Northern Alaska (culture over 20,000 years old)

Question 33

How many people inhabit the arctic and how many of these are indigenous?

Answer 33

4 million, 500,000 of which are classed as indigenous

Question 34

How have the Arctic indigenous people followed a sustainable way of life?

Answer 34

lifestyle based on hunting natural resources such as fish, reindeer, caribou, whales, seals, and birds

Question 35

Since the 1990's what has happened that has meant that the indigenous population has lost access to these resources?

Answer 35

growth of fossil fuel extraction and effects of climate change have been impacting the fragile ecosystem

Question 36

In spring how many Caribou migrate to Alaska's National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)?

Answer 36

180,000

Question 37

Since 1987 what has threatened ANWR?

Answer 37

from oil and gas development

Question 38

What are the injustices that the Gwitch'in face from the threat of oil and gas development in ANWR?

Answer 38

- impacts on the ecosystem and the wildlife, biodiversity and ecology - they may become conservative refugee's - possible create jobs for them in the oil industry - economic leakage - additional fossil fuels +4 degrees in the Arctic

Question 39

Of the 193 countries in the world how many are landlocked and how many ae classed as 'developing' countries by the UN?

Answer 39

45 are landlocked 32 are classed as developing

Question 40

Of the 15 countries with the lowest human development index (HDI) score how many are landlocked?

Answer 40

8

Question 41

In Africa, landlocked countries have how much lower GDP per capita compared to their maritime neighbours?

Answer 41

40%

Question 42

Why might some landlocked countries lag behind those with coastlines?

Answer 42

- it may be harder from them to trade, as shipping routes require coastline (80% of global trade occurs via ocean) - no navy/ power/ influence - Cannot attract FDI as MNC's aren't going to set up where it is difficult to export and import products - cannot recover as easily from natural disasters if they're poor

Question 43

What is the case study of a landlocked country?

Answer 43

Bolivia

Question 44

How does UNCLOS state that landlocked countries have access to ocean? How can Bolivia gain access?

Answer 44

through neighbouring 'Transit States'. Bolivia should be able to use the shortest route through Chile

Question 45

Why can't Bolivia access the ocean?

Answer 45

Bolivia and Chile have had historical disputes: in 1904 Bolivia surrendered there remaining coastline to Chile

Question 46

What has been agreed between Peru and Bolivia?

Answer 46

Allowed Bolivia to build its own Pacific Port, allowing them to access global market (3.58sq km)

Question 47

What are some of the ongoing issues in Bolivia?

Answer 47

- Bolivia today is the poorest country in South America - A strike in Chilean customs officials in 2013 caused a queue of lorries of 20km long in Bolivia - In 2018 Bolivia applied to the international court of justice in the Hague, to regain access to the coastline, but they ruled against Bolivia

Question 48

Why is Bolivia gaining access to their own port significant?

Answer 48

They can sell their mined materials, such as silver, zinc and iron and can get other good imported