Deep sea mining lease sales are scheduled to take place in American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands in November and December, respectively. The Trump administration has advanced a rushed and secretive process in both U.S. territories with limited public participation.
Thankfully the United States is still a democracy and the First Amendment guarantees us the freedom of speech, press, assembly, and petition – and we intend to exercise those rights. If you want to help slow down or stop this unpopular and corrupt attempt to sell the sea floor to mining companies, here are some ways to engage:
Educate yourself
A year ago I had never heard of an RFI or a PLN and I might have been hard pressed to describe the difference between an EA and an EIS. As informed advocates, the public expects us to have a working knowledge of the types of deep sea mining that are being proposed, be able to describe the harmful effects to marine habitats, and know the complex inner workings of massive government bureaucracies. It’s a lot, and you can’t expect to know everything. A good place to start is the Friends of the Mariana Trench’s community education resource document. You can also sign up for different email listservs so that you are receiving the latest information.
Ask your friends and family to sign our petition
Several organizations are collaborating on this petition. When you sign, please opt in for updates to receive timely emails from the Center for American Progress regarding important developments and future actions. Signing the petition helps us show numerically how unpopular these deep sea mining propositions are.
Share awareness on social media
Here are just a few of the people and organizations conducting deep sea mining education on social media: Angelo, Finafinau, Friends of the Mariana Trench, Futureswell, Mark, Micronesia Climate Change Alliance, National Ocean Protection Coalition, and Sabrina. Please follow them on Instagram and other social media platforms and like and share their posts about deep sea mining. Got ideas for more people we should follow? Please drop them in the comments below.
And please share this video overview of the deep sea mining crisis made by the Center for American Progress and starring Sabrina, Steven, and Angelo. You share it on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. Most people around the country have never heard of deep sea mining; these stories how the rush to exploit these territories are unpopular and corrupt.
Tell your story publicly
You don’t have to stop at sharing other people’s social media. We encourage you to make your own, too. We cannot state this more clearly: story telling is the most powerful advocacy tool on the planet. Tell your story with an essay, a video, or a social media post. Write a song. Use art. Share it with the world.
Take your picture with Miss Abyss the Dumbo Octopus
Miss Abyss is a social media campaign asking deep sea advocates across the country to take their picture with a cutout of a dumbo octopus character. The images that are submitted will help to illustrate the widespread opposition to deep-sea mining. You can learn more about the campaign here and here and here. Miss Abyss will help provide images that show the geographic expanse of our support to protect the deep sea.
Respectfully talk to your local leaders
Even though the current comment periods are restricted to the two territorial governors, the federal government has claimed that they want to hear from our local leaders and communities (while trying to change the regulations that require working with local governments at the same time – but that’s for another blog). I encourage you to encourage your local leaders to reach out to BOEM officials to ensure your perspectives are being heard.
Donate to trusted organizations
You can donate to local groups such as Finafinau, Friends of the Mariana Trench, Micronesia Climate Change Alliance, or national organizations like Earthjustice who are taking the Trump administration to court.