Impossible Metals Seeks Mining Lease Near American Samoa
in its own territorial waters, roughly up to 200 nautical miles from shore.That means that California-based Impossible Metals does not need permission from the International Seabed Authority (ISA) - created by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which the U.S. has not ratified.The White House is weighing an executive order to let mining companies that want to mine international waters bypass the ISA.(Reuters - Reporting by Ernest Scheyder; Editing by Sandra Maler
White House Aims to Eliminate NOAA Climate Research
The administration of President Donald Trump aims to eliminate the arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that oversees research on climate change and refocus the U.S. fisheries service to support energy development, according to a draft White House budget document seen by Reuters.The moves are part of a plan to downsize NOAA dramatically, slashing agency funding by around $1.67 billion, or 27%, according to the proposal.The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, known also as NOAA Research, would be closed under the proposal, along with $480 million in funding for
Trump Moves to More Easily Fire NOAA, DOE Employees
, and can only be fired for cause.Trump on January 20 signed an executive order creating the new "schedule policy/career" category of federal employees, who could be fired at will. The executive order pointed out that career federal employees had resisted and undermined the policies of the White House in the past.Two unions representing federal workers sued the administration in January hoping to slow down the effort to reclassify as many as 50,000 employees, arguing it was an attempt to politicize the federal workforce.In their new category, NOAA employees would remain career staff, not political
White House Could Bypass UN on Deep-Sea Mining
The White House is weighing an executive order that would fast-track permitting for deep-sea mining in international waters and let mining companies bypass a United Nations-backed review process, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the deliberations.If signed, the order would mark U.S. President Donald Trump's latest attempt to tap international deposits of nickel, copper and other critical minerals used widely across the economy after recent efforts in Greenland and Ukraine. Trump earlier this month also invoked emergency powers to boost domestic minerals production.The International
White House Releases National Strategy for Marine CO2 Removal Research
The Biden-Harris Administration and NOAA released the National Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Research Strategy to advance safe and effective research on the benefits, risks and tradeoffs of marine CO2 removal.Marine CO2 removal refers to activities that increase the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide absorbed and held by the ocean. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change considers CO2 removal, along with rapid and deep emissions reductions over the next 10-20 years, critical to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.There are many possible approaches to marine CO2 removal.The new national
US Releases New Strategies to Advance Sustainable Ocean Management
The White House has announced three new federal strategies for conserving and protecting oceans and harnessing their power to strengthen the economy.The announcement reflects the President’s push to address critical challenges that threaten the ocean’s future, including overfishing, warming from climate change, increased acidity due to carbon emissions, and loss of biodiversity.“Earth’s ocean make life possible. It hosts vibrant ecosystems, feeds billions of people, sustains livelihoods, and connects us all,” said Arati Prabhakar, President Biden’s chief advisor on
White House Announces $9.6 Million for Regional Ocean Partnerships
The Department of Commerce and NOAA on Friday announced $9.6 million in funding is available through four established Regional Ocean Partnerships and five Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Regional Associations. The funding supports cross-jurisdictional priorities and data sharing that address the most pressing ocean and coastal management issues within each region. This investment is part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.Regional Ocean Partnerships are organizations that are voluntarily convened by coastal states working in
18 Ocean Experts Named to Federal Panel
from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, ocean industries, state, tribal, territorial or local governments and academia.The Ocean Policy Committee (OPC) solicited nominations from the public through a Federal Register Notice and members were appointed by the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality, who co-chair of the interagency OPC.“Formation of the Ocean Research Advisory Panel is a major milestone for U.S. ocean science and policy, and reinforces the President’s historic commitments
Inside the Subsea Cable Firm Secretly Helping America Take on China
;s SubCom, Japan’s NEC Corporation, France’s Alcatel Submarine Networks and China’s HMN Tech.For sensitive U.S. projects, Washington only works with SubCom, according to five industry sources who have worked on projects with the cable company.The U.S. Department of Defense and the White House did not respond to requests for comment.Picking sidesUntil a U.S. crackdown on Chinese tech companies ramped up five years ago, SubCom laid cables for telecom and tech companies worldwide, including the big state-owned Chinese carriers.Not anymore. The cable firm now works almost exclusively for
February 2025
