FT Rethink

Deep-sea mining: vital resource or environmental disaster?

Surging demand for the metals used in electric car batteries is setting off a race to mine the deep seas. As the FT’s Henry Sanderson explains, the sea floor could contain more nickel, cobalt and rare earth metals than all land-based reserves combined. Miners say it may diversify supply, but environmentalists fear mining will do irreparable damage.

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FT Rethink

FT Channels, a partnership destination that combines impactful and enriching multimedia content to spark curiosity and encourage discovery. Each vertical brings expert insights from the Financial Times and our Partners into the most pressing issues of our time.


FT Rethink series focuses on the people, technology, strategies and systems moving us from an economy that is wasteful, idle, lopsided and dirty towards one that is circular, lean, inclusive and clean. The channel alternates between independent reporting from FT journalists and business perspectives from Lombard Odier