Global Environment & Society Academy

GESA December Reading Group - Marine

This event is delivered by the Global Environment and Society Academy with the Edinburgh Marine Network and is open to all University of Edinburgh Masters students.

...profits to be gained from mineral mining on the ocean floor have meant that millions of dollars have been invested in developing the technology to conduct deep seabed mining on a commercial scale. ... it is widely anticipated that deep seabed mining will become a reality within the next decade.

Dr James HarrisonLecturer in International Law

Marine Convergence Zones: Mega MPAs vs Mining in the face of Global Change

The third and last reading group of semester one focuses on Marine Convergence Zones: Mega MPAs vs Mining in the face of Global Change and will be introduced by Dr Meriwether Wilson, GESA member and MSc Marine Systems & Policies Programme Director, Dr Laura Jeffery, GESA member, Lecturer in Anthropology from School of Social & Political Science and Dr James Harrison, School of Law.

Mega MPAs measuring over 100,000km² now already comprise the vast majority of the total area covered by MPAs worldwide. But why are the world’s powerful leaders – including Clinton, Bush, and Obama – competing to create ever larger MPAs?

Dr Laura JeffereyLecturer in Social Anthropology

After hearing their perspectives, we will break out into small discussion groups before coming back together to share what our groups believe are the key themes emerging from this emotive and controversial environmental issue.

To read the blogs and look over possible discussion questions

...what imaginations mentally surface when we reflect on the 70% of our planet that is ocean – upwellings of blueness, deep, dark, mysterious…untapped resources? Are we in the middle of an intellectual confluence of values and technological prowess with regard to the oceans, as we once were with untouched realms of North America?

Dr Meriwether WilsonMSc Marine Systems & Policies Programme Director

December Reading Group - Marine

Wednesday 9 December 2015, 2.00pm - 4.00pm

Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation