Mining the ocean is controversial. Could the Enterprise do it right?

Hundreds of miles offshore and thousands of feet underwater in the middle of the Pacific Ocean sit knobby lumps of rock that could hold the key to humanity’s high-tech future. These  ‘polymetallic nodules’ are rich in metals like nickel, cobalt, and copper—essential ingredients in everything from the lithium-ion batteries inside smartphones and electric vehicles to the power lines that channel electrons from power plants to our homes.

Several private and state-backed companies wish to mine them, but the idea is controversial. Not only could deep sea mining devastate seafloor ecosystems we know precious little about, but it also raises tough questions about fairness and who should reap the benefits of such extraction. After all, companies are proposing to mine the international seabed, waters that, according to international law, represent the “common heritage of [hu]mankind.” If someone is going to profit from their exploitation, well, shouldn’t everyone?