Public Screening: Deep Rising

On 28 June 2024, the screening of the film "Deep Rising“ (from 2023) took place in the forum of the central building of Leuphana University Lüneburg.

The documentary deals with the topic of deep-sea mining and addresses the associated dangers and risks for humanity and nature. It focuses on the economic amibitions of private actors in this context and also casts a critical light on the activities of the International Seabed Authority, which is responsible for regulating the extraction of raw materials from the ocean floor.

The film draws particular attention to the incalculable consequences of the economic exploitation of these raw material deposits. Accordingly, there is an acute danger of the lasting destruction of an entire ecosystem about which mankind has hardly any information to date. Any intervention in this context could therefore lead to irreparable damage within a habitat that is home to countless as yet unknown species.

However, due to the energy transition and the green transformation, the demand for critical raw materials such as cobalt, nickel, and lithium is so high that private investors are nevertheless considering mining them in the depths of the oceans. This creates substantial tension between economic concerns and environmental interests in the context of deep sea mining.

The experts invited to the subsequent panel discussion addressed these points and discussed them with the audience:

• Anna Gross, CEO DEEPWAVE e.V. (Link)
• Daniela Herrmann, Greenpeace Germany (Link)
• Prof. Dr. Valentin Schatz, Leuphana University Lüneburg (Link)

We would like to thank them once again - as well as Johannes Ipsen (fellow of the Joachim Herz Doctoral School of Law) as the discussion moderator - for their participation and contribution to this event.