‘Playing gods with the cradle of life’: French Polynesia’s president issues warning over deep-sea mining

News Snapshot:

French Polynesia’s president has issued a stark warning over the risks of deep-sea mining, saying it will be allowed in his territory “over my dead body” as he argues the potential for environmental damage outweighs any benefits. Moetai Brotherson’s comments to the Guardian come as countries in the Pacific and elsewhere grapple with whether to extract minerals from the sea floor. Deep-sea mining has not yet begun, but some companies and countries are exploring the practice, which could start in the coming years. “We’re playing gods with the cradle of life – and that’s way too dangerous,” Brotherson said from...