Read the following passage carefully and answer the question that follows:
The accelerating global transition toward renewable energy technologies has dramatically intensified demand for critical minerals such as cobalt, nickel, and manganese. Consequently, international attention has turned toward the seabed, particularly the vast abyssal plains containing polymetallic nodules. Advocates argue that deep-sea mining offers a less socially disruptive alternative to terrestrial mining, avoiding community displacement and deforestation. However, marine ecologists emphasize that the deep ocean represents one of Earth's least understood and most fragile ecosystems. Benthic organisms depend on stable conditions that have persisted for millions of years, and the mechanical disruption of nodule fields threatens to destroy unique habitats permanently. Furthermore, mining operations generate expansive sediment plumes and noise pollution that can travel hundreds of kilometers through the water column, impairing midwater organisms and disrupting marine food webs. Existing international legal frameworks, primarily administered under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, face significant challenges in balancing commercial exploration with environmental protection. Because the ecological recovery of abyssal ecosystems occurs on geological rather than human timescales, decisions made today carry irreversible global consequences. Therefore, establishing a rigorous precautionary moratorium and comprehensive scientific baseline before authorizing commercial extraction is essential to prevent catastrophic loss of ocean biodiversity.
Which of the following best captures the central message of the passage?
- ADeep-sea seabed mining is superior to terrestrial mining because it prevents deforestation and human displacement.
- BDeveloping nations must receive equitable financial compensation and technology transfers before deep-sea mineral exploration begins.
- Commercial deep-sea extraction should be halted until adequate scientific baselines and precautionary safeguards are established to protect fragile ocean ecosystems.Cevap
- DThe United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea has completely failed, requiring the permanent and total prohibition of all seabed mineral resource extraction.