One nodule contains high grades of four key metals, meaning that four times less ore needs to be processed to obtain the same amount of metal. Nodules also contain no toxic levels of heavy elements, and the entirety of a nodule can be used, making near-zero-solid-waste production possible. Because nodules sit unattached on top of the seafloor, they will not require drilling or blasting for retrieval.
It’s time to move ahead with deep sea mining in both international and US territorial waters. As we did for frontier exploratory oil and gas drilling in Alaska and the Atlantic, I recommend comprehensive oversight including full time onboard inspectors during the initial operations and a carefully designed environmental monitoring program.
This deep sea mining commentary by Mars Lewis was brought to my attention by John Smith. Good read:
🇺🇸🚢 ⛏️ We’re witnessing a wave of glorified pseudoscience and fantasy activism around the ocean floor—this idea that the deep sea is some mystical sanctuary of life and that any attempt to extract resources from it is an unforgivable sin against Gaia. Spare me.
The bottom of the ocean is not the Garden of Eden. It’s a black, silent, high-pressure wasteland—largely lifeless, uninhabitable, and filled with the very minerals we need to break free from Chinese supply chain domination. You want a clean energy future? Then stop whining about the only scalable path to get there.
China has already begun strip-mining the ocean floor without asking for your permission. They don’t care about the blobfish or the bacteria colonies around volcanic vents. They care about winning. And every time we moralize ourselves into inaction, we gift them another geopolitical advantage wrapped in Western guilt.
Let’s cut the delusion. There is no future where America stays on top without securing its own critical minerals. Recycling won’t save us. Wind and solar need metals. Batteries need rare earths. Data centers need semiconductors. And semiconductors need the materials sitting at the bottom of the ocean.
You don’t get to demand green tech, reject land mining, block seabed access, and still pretend you’re “saving the planet.” That’s not leadership. That’s learned helplessness.
So yes, I support Trump’s executive action. Because someone has to make the grown-up decision. Either we lead this resource race with responsibility and strength—or we watch tyrants carve up the planet while we post crying-face emojis and argue about what’s sacred 10,000 feet below sea level.
Let the race for the bottom begin. 🇺🇸🚢
Deep sea vs. land mining:
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 