/sci/ - Science & Math

>>3930341

>So we start underwater mining that might make mass death of sea life?

Underwater mining equipment is electric. It has to be, internal combustion engines don't work underwater. The excavation process releases no emissions or toxic substances. It does create sediment clouds known to disrupt migration, but it does not kill anything.

Oceanic development is a necessary stepping stone for our species before space. It provides a proving ground for technologies directly applicable to living on other worlds and it unlocks the enormous wealth we will need in order to expand meaningfully to other worlds.

>>3799383

>what we should be doing is doing BOTH.

Full agreement. I didn't start the shitstorm, the guy who came into my sea thread and said space is cooler did. As if we don't already have enough space threads for him to post in.

>completely ignoring the possibility of mining an asteroid

We can mine those same minerals from deep sea deposits. The ore is six to seven times more pure than on land, and it's exposed via volcanic action rather than buried in veins.

Plus, it's happening right now. Pic related. Asteroid mining doesn't make business sense yet.

This is the present: http://www.nautilusminerals.com/s/Projects-Solwara.asp
Pic related. This is going on right now, as we speak, three thousand feet below the waters of Papau New Guinea. The proof of concept efforts involved only suction tools, now most of the hardware is on site, deep underwater.

This is the next step: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/oilandgas/8228548/Brazil-to-replace-oil-rigs-
with-underwater-cities.html
With modern materials and subsea robotics technology more and more of these operations will be moved to the ocean floor. They are less susceptible to storms, robots are ready on-site and on demand in the event of another oil leak, and in the event of growing military tensions with former rare earth metal or oil suppliers these seafloor stations would be considerably harder to attack.

High value hardware on the ocean floor means high value military targets, which necessitates defense. Subsea weapons platforms require a human presence for direct oversight, same reason that modern missle silos haven't been automated. The first people living in the deep sea will therefore most likely be oil and mine workers, and military personnel.

Discuss.