Hello. This is Six minute English from BBC Learning English.
I'm Neil, and I'm Sam. Here.
At 6 min English, we often discuss the new inventions and ideas scientists dream up to fight climate change, technologies like geoengineering, which could reduce global warming by reflecting sunlight back into space.
Often, these ideas are controversial because scientists disagree over whether the technology is possible, and whether, in some cases, it could do more harm than good.
In this program, will be finding out about a new idea to collect lumps of precious metals called nodules, from the bottom of the ocean.
The idea known as deep sea mining, could provide the metals like copper, nickel and cobalt, which are needed for the green technology used in electric car batteries and other renewable energy.
But could deep sea mining actually damage delicate ocean ecosystems as well?
We'll be hearing from two experts and learning some new vocabulary soon.
But 1st, I have a question for you, sam Mammals like dolphins and whales, represent a tiny amount of all marine biodiversity.
The thousands of animal species living in the sea, even all the different types of fish combined, make up less than 3% of all living things in the ocean.
So according to recent estimates by unesco oceanographers, how many different marine species have their home in the ocean?
Is it A, 70000? B, 170000 or C 700000?
I'll guess there are around 170000 animal species living in the sea.
OK, sam, I'll reveal the answer at the end of the program.
Deep sea mining is supported by some scientists because it could provide the raw materials, especially metals, needed to power electric cars.
Amongst them is Bramley Merton, a professor of marine biology at South hanson's National Oceanographic Center.
Here, he outlines the problem to BBC World Services science in action.
As there so many things in life, there's a real kind of paradox, or a conundrum.
The global grid capacity by 2050, will have to increase by by three times.
Electrical car owners have set to increase by a fact of 25 so, and when generation is going to grow by a fact of 100, all of these things which we need to do to decarbonize going to require raw materials and metals in particular.
So as society, we face with conundrum We need to decarbonize.
Professor Mercen describes the situation using two words.
Firstly, he calls it a conundrum, a problem that is very difficult to solve.
He also calls it a paradox, a situation that seems impossible because it contains two opposite ideas.
Deep sea mining could damage the ocean, but paradoxically, it might provide rare metals needed to decarbonize the planet.
At the heart of the problem is that in the future, green activities, like driving electric cars and using solar power, is going to increase by a factor of 100.
If something increases by a factor of a certain number, it becomes multiplied that many times.
But another marine biologist, helen Scales, isn't convinced.
Here she explains her doubts to BBC World Service Science in action.
My concern at this point is that deep sea mining and deep sea nodus in particular, are being seen as a silver bullet to solve the climate crisis, and in such a way as well, that I think that we can hopefully rely on life carrying on pretty much as normal.
My concern is that it really will be opening a door something much more than those tests.
It's leading down a rather slippery slope, I think, towards this getting permission for deep sea minding to be open on a commercial scale.
Helen worries that deep sea mining will be seen as a silver bullet to the climate crisis, simple, an instant solution to a complicated problem.
She thinks the tests which have been permitted to assess the difficulty of mining underwater could open the door to mining on a large scale, which would damage fragile marine ecosystems beyond reports.
If you open the door to something, you allow something new to start, or make it possible.
Helen thinks starting deep sea mining leads down a slippery slope, a situation or habit that is difficult to stop and is likely to get worse and worse, and that could spell the end for thousands of marine animals and plant species.
Yes, our oceans need protection as much as our land and skies.
Which reminds me of my questions. Sam Yes, you ask me how many different marines species live in the ocean, and I guessed it was b 170000, which was the wrong answer.
I'm afraid. There are estimated to be around 700000 marine species, only about 226000 of which have been identified so far.
OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned from the program, starting with conundrum, a problem that's very difficult to fix.
A paradox describes a situation that seems impossible because it contains two opposite ideas.
If something grows by a factor of ten, it becomes multiplied ten times the term.
A silver bullet means a simple solution to a complicated problem, often a solution that doesn't actually exist.
A slippery slope is a situation or course of action that is difficult to stop and is likely to get worse and worse.
And finally, the idiom to open the door to something means to allow something new to start, or to make it possible.
Once again, our 6 min are up by Fanounder Boy, which meets English from the BBC singer.
