This week, delegates from around the world are meeting at the United Nations for the first UN Oceans Conference, to discuss the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: the conservation of oceans, seas and marine resources.
We are subjecting our oceans to a barrage of assaults, many of which we are all familiar with - rising temperatures, overfishing, acidification. Less well-known are the dual threats to oceans from mining: the ongoing pollution of marine ecosystems by mine waste and the irreversible harm to deep-sea ecosystems that would result from proposed deep-seabed mining.
On Thursday, President Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, significantly weakening American leadership in the global effort to fight climate change. After ignoring advice from his peers, scientists, business leaders, activsts and citizens, President Trump said he based he planned to negotiate for a 'better' deal. However this is not possible.