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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsthe EnvironmentEnvironmental PolicyRenewable energyCritical mineralsGreen technology•••Started 4mos agoActive 38mins ago

Should the federal government authorize deep-sea mining in US territorial waters to harvest minerals for green technology?

Deep-sea mining involves extracting potato-sized polymetallic nodules rich in cobalt, nickel, and copper from the ocean floor, which are minerals that are essential for manufacturing electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy storage. Proponents support this practice because they argue deep-sea extraction is necessary to secure a domestic supply chain for green technology and is far more ethical than land-based mining which often relies on exploitative child labor. Opponents oppose this practice because they argue scraping the ocean floor will trigger irreversible biodiversity loss, kick up toxic sediment plumes, and disrupt the largest carbon sink on the planet.

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Answer Overview

Response rates from 3.1k America voters.

56%
Yes
44%
No
51%
Yes
30%
No
3%
Yes, extracting these mineral nodules is an absolute necessity to break China's monopoly on critical green energy materials
7%
No, deep-sea mining is an ecological gamble that could permanently devastate ancient underwater ecosystems before we even understand them
3%
Yes, harvesting rocks from the ocean floor has a significantly lower human and environmental cost than traditional land-based mining
4%
No, we should prioritize aggressive electronic waste recycling and alternative battery technology instead of strip-mining the ocean floor
3%
No, toxic sediment plumes could disrupt commercial fishing and destroy the ocean's critical ability to act as a carbon sink

Historical Support

Trend of support over time for each answer from 3.1k America voters.

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Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from America voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

 @6W6M7XD  from Tennessee  answered…3wks3W

Not until the impact is better understood.

 @BF3BKJL  from Florida  answered…1wk1W

Yes but ensure a safety in the depth of the sea and support a new program of cleaning the oceans

 @BF3CWY9 from Mississippi  answered…1wk1W

No, Not Deep Sea, you are endangering the sea live there. Green Technology sound bad.

 @BF3CNP4 from Arizona  answered…1wk1W

Find away to be eco friendly without destroying other parts of the earth

 @BCN5SM4 from Oklahoma  answered…3mos3MO

if done in a way that is in respect to the environment around it

 @BCLJVMC from Virginia  answered…3mos3MO

Yes, but only after careful evaluation of the risks to the natural environment and sufficient risk-preventing measures are set in place to reduce environmental damage.

 @BCKXG8P from Missouri  answered…3mos3MO

No, it is an ecological gamble that could permanently devastate ancient underwater ecosystems before we even understand them. We need to study these things first. If we are able to study it and find out that damage will not occur, then we should fund it and use it.

 @BDZTDDD from Missouri  answered…2wks2W

No, "green technology" companies should be required to develop recycling processes for their products. Current process of limited-lifespan solar panels and wind generators results in non-recyclable waste that's dumped into landfills and is known to be environmentally toxic. Figure out how to recycle what's currently being built instead of destroying the environment with continuous "eco-friendly" waste.

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…2yrs2Y

Elizabeth Warren Walks Back Murder Comments

Congressional Democrats broadly denounced the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson Friday morning, after Republicans started accusing Sen. Elizabeth Warren of excusing violence.“No one's condoning this,” said Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.). “Violence never is the right answer for anything. And it was a horrible murder, a tragic loss for his family.” Warren this week condemned the shooting, but added that people “can be pushed only so far.”"We'll say it over and over," Warren said on MSNBC’S “The ReidOut.” " Violence is never the answer. This guy [Luigi Mangione] gets a trial who's allegedly killed the CEO of UnitedHealth, but you can only push people so far, and then they start to take matters into their own hands."In a statement to POLITICO, Warren said, “Violence is never the answer. Period. I should have been much clearer that there is never a justification for murder.” Top Republicans denounced Warren's comments and the walked-back rhetoric, with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) calling it “inappropriate and dangerous.”Some House Democrats asked about the incident on Thursday pivoted the conversation to discuss policy options on health care or gun safety.“I don't really know that this is really a space that Congress normally weighs in on,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas). “But at the end of the day, I think it’s an opportunity, because now people are talking about health care and to talk about the fact that this industry has honestly not been as helpful as it could be.”“Violence is never the answer,” said Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.). “We know that there are people suffering, there’s great challenges in healthcare. There's great challenges, and people have, in fact, been wronged, but a process of governance is the way to address that, not violence.”And Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) who denounced the murder, said the killer should be prosecuted and that “I do know that allegedly a ghost gun was used, and we should also ban ghost guns. There's no reason for them beyond the streets.”

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Based on 3.1k responses to this question.

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iSideWith. (2026). “Should the federal government authorize deep-sea mining in US territorial waters to harvest minerals for green technology?” — Public Opinion Poll Results. Retrieved June 26, 2026, from https://www.isidewith.com/polls/5558465293

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