BETTER SOLAR PANELS FOR THE FUTURE?
For the past ten years, governments around the world have been trying to reduce the use of coal, gas, and oil – the fuels that are responsible for climate change. These fuels are gradually being replaced with wind power and sunlight to produce so-called "clean" or "green" energy. The shift to clean energy depends mostly on the use of solar panels, which produce electricity from sunlight. Unfortunately, at present the panels are expensive to manufacture. Moreover, they are not efficient, so huge numbers are needed to generate large amounts of electricity. Consequently, they are not widely used.(lines 1–7)
Manufacturers have long been looking for ways to improve solar panels. A few years ago, they made a breakthrough and developed a new type of solar panel. It is more efficient than existing panels and cheaper to manufacture. However, there is one major problem. These panels are made using tellurium – one of the rarest metals on Earth. Tellurium has been discovered in rocks in a few countries such as China, Sweden, and Canada, but only in tiny quantities. Much more is required to meet the global demand for solar panels.(lines 8–13)
The search for tellurium was also carried out in the oceans – with promising results. In 2017, a group of British scientists discovered deep in the Atlantic Ocean rocks that contain enormous amounts of tellurium. But although this was exciting news, no mining has begun. "That's because anyone interested in deep-sea mining must first get permission from ISA – the International Seabed Authority," explains environmentalist Marina Beller. "So far, ISA hasn't given permission for mining any resource from deep in the ocean. In fact, it hasn't even begun preparing regulations to determine how such mining should be carried out."(lines 14–20)
According to Beller, one of the main concerns of ISA is protecting ocean ecosystems from the destruction that mining is likely to cause. "Animals might lose their habitats and food sources," she says. "They might also be harmed by the noise and vibrations produced by the heavy machines. Regulations are needed to minimize damage." However, she adds, preparing such regulations is extremely difficult. "To this day, around 90% of the oceans have never been explored. Until more research is done, scientists simply won't know enough to be able to advise ISA on the matter."(lines 21–26)
Many governments share these concerns, and therefore want ISA to ban all deep-sea mining. However, some experts object to such a move, claiming that some mining should be permitted. "Each request should be considered separately," says Tom Hoffman, professor of environmental science. "In the case of tellurium, mining should be allowed because this resource can play a vital role in our efforts to stop global warming. So ISA should do whatever is necessary to enable us to mine it as soon as possible. If that happens, I believe the benefits will be far greater than the risks."(lines 27–32)