TU EINDHOVEN: DON’T GIVE POLLUTERS A PODIUM!
07.03.2024
Fuck Stop fossil fuels and deep sea mining!
Today, Tuesday 5 March, four groups joined forces to support the students of Eindhoven University of Technology (TU) and help them turn the heat up in Eindhoven at the University’s CAREER EXPO.
The Career Expo is a recruitment day for students and companies, where companies like Shell, Tata Steel and deep-sea miner Allseas are invited to spill greenwash from their lying, oil blackened, mouths into the ears of innocent students.
This is an outrage – these companies are asking students to be accomplices to their own extinction.
Luckily more honest voices were at hand.
The Polymetallic Nodules, the world’s premier deep seabed metal band (and least liked on land – free earplugs included) were ready to rock. They perform anywhere against DEEP SEA MINING, you can book them for a gig here. They were joined by three other groups protesting against fossil fuels, pollution and greenwashing! Namely Animal Rebellion, University Rebellion and XR Eindhoven.
⬆️ There’s rocks and deep seabed rocks, the deep seabed really ROCKS!
The Nodules were rocking against the earsplitting noise the Allseas mining machines make while ‘exploring’ the deep seabed. Plus the Nodules wanted to remind the Eindhoven University of Technology of their duty to their students – how can technology be used for such destructive purposes? Why isn’t the University promoting career paths that help the environment?
⬆️ The Nodules enjoyed wide coverage across Dutch media channels.
Why are the Polymetallic Nodules opposed to deep sea mining?
“Hundreds of scientists have warned of the disastrous consequences of deep sea mining for life in the Ocean and for us,” says Stefanie Wels from Ocean Rebellion, one of the organisers of the protest, “24 countries and different companies including Volkswagen, BMW, Google and Samsung have already said ‘no’ deep sea mining in international waters. The EU Parliament also believes it’s a bad idea. And yet companies like Allseas are preparing to go ahead anyway. They come up with all kinds of lies and pretend machines they claim cause little damage. But the fact is the machines do cause damage, they strip the deep seabed of all life and create enormous sediment plumes that pollute the water column for thousands of kilometres.”
The fate of the Ocean depends on us all.
Our interventions depend on your support.
Max from Animal Rebellion adds: “The noise pollution from deep sea mining industry is increasing. It extends over hundreds of kilometres and disturbs whales and dolphins in their search for food. The Polymetallic Nodules make this very clear with their own noise, which is a fraction of the noise deep sea mining makes. That’s estimated to be a 100 times louder than a space rocket launch. All marine life is completely disrupted.”
⬆️ Honest voices are difficult to come by at Careers Expos. Luckily activists from Ocean Rebellion, Animal Rebellion, Universities Rebellion and XR Eindhoven provided some.
What is the official state of affairs?
The UN International Seabed Authority (ISA), a difficult and non-transparent body, should be regulating the deep seabed for the ‘benefit of [hu]mankind’. But there remains a loophole in their regulation. This allows companies to apply for mining licenses for exploratory purposes. Various companies are eager to start but Gerard Barron’s latest investor sinkhole The Metals Company is leading the way, with the full support of Allseas.
Time is officially running out for the deep seabed, with greedy ‘business men’ like Gerard Barron and poor governance by the ISA, led by its money grabbing dictator Michael Lodge, the deep seabed is truly under attack.
The fate of the Ocean depends on us all.
We’ll let you know what we’re doing to help.
The Netherlands – a voting member of the ISA – won’t speak out against deep sea mining, in the Netherlands business interests always come first! The Dutch Government has even indicated that it would like to sign up when more deep sea mining licenses are issued. Maybe this is influenced by the lobbyists from Allseas. Allseas have a significant industrial presence in The Netherlands.
⬆️ The Dutch Parliament must stop listening to greenwashing lobbyists and start listening to its citizens.
What is deep sea mining and what harm will it do?
Parts of the bottom of the deep sea contain mineral chunks known as ‘manganese nodules’. These hard rock-like lumps can be used for ‘green’ battery technology, among other things. The companies who want to mine for nodules would like us to think this can be done carefully, but this is simply untrue. Deep sea mining strips the seabed of all life, including deep sea sponges, and corals that have taken thousands of years to grow. It releases huge plumes of sediment into the water column and no one knows what effect this will have on the ocean and its ecosystems. Plus, as mentioned, the noise deep sea mining makes will disorientate marine life that relies heavily on sound to create its underwater maps for feeding, mating and communication.
Do we need deep sea metals to go ‘green’?
The deep sea mining industry would like us to think so. But major international companies have stated they will not use nor invest in deep sea metals. Deep sea mining is a 1970s nightmare living in the 21st Century, a lot like fossil fuels. In fact the only real solution to our climate crisis and resource issues are nature-led and require a change in the way we live and act. The throwaway culture of the past needs to be thrown away, companies and governments must transition away from exploitation (using technology as a guise for progress) for profit, towards a circular view that values repairability and the urban mining of existing, extracted, metals.
⬆️ The view before the sound started and the view once the sound waves shattered the quiet. ⬇️
How did the performance happen and did it have an impact?
The Polymetallic Nodules and their allies approached the building where the event was held. They quickly set up their boatstage, a speech was given and they started playing their horrendous gig. Activists handed out flyers, banners were shown, colorful smoke was ignited. Security remained quiet. When the gig was finished, the Nodules went inside to visit the stall of Allseas. There, a second part of the action started: a performance of Mother Earth. Oil and blood was poored onto her by people in suits, she sang a song and gave a speech. The whole action did not go unnoticed. Regional channels broadcasted it, a clip appeared in a national talkshow, and a national newspaper spent a whole page on the action. All bad publicity for Allseas!
⬆️ Mother Nature speaks out against fossil fuels and fossil fools, like Shell and Allseas, inside the Careers Expo.
Ocean Rebellion stands with Animal Rebellion, University Rebellion and XR Eindhoven and demands that all Universities concentrate on careers that seek to protect and promote the future of the planet we share. We also demand that all Universities speak out against harmful companies like Shell, Tata Steel and Allseas, consigning their narrow thinking to where it belongs – the past.
Ocean Rebellion demands an end to Deep Sea Mining. Together with a root and branch reform of the ISA. This reform must focus on protecting the deep (and high) seas on behalf of ALL life and future generations.
⬆️ Mother Nature meditates on the fate of our shared world while Allseas employees try to hoodwink the next generation of wage slaves.
Photos by Simon Verstappen.
