Strength and Impotence. The Developing Countries and the Development in New Territories
| Published date | 01 March 1974 |
| Author | Willy Østreng |
| DOI | 10.1177/001083677400900114 |
| Date | 01 March 1974 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Strength and Impotence. The Developing Countries and
the Development in New Territories
WILLY ØSTRENG
This article examines the possible political and economic effects of large-scale mineral
extraction from the seabed. The findings presented indicate that development in new
territories may conceivably serve to exacerbate existing conflict dimensions, notably
the North/South dimension in global politics. Because of the developed countries’
monopoly on know-how and economic capability, exploration and exploitation of
the inorganic resources of the ocean floor has de facto been the exclusive domain of
these countries. On the basis of this the author shows that if large-scale production
of seabed resources should become a reality in the near future, the underdeveloped
countries will be forced to watch it from the sidelines. As a consequence, the exploita-
tion of offshore raw materials will probably contribute to the further widening of
the gap between developed and underdeveloped countries. Further commenting on
the fact that the latter today are the main producers of the most promising seabed
resources, the author expresses the view that exploitation will have a detrimental effect
on the economies of the Third World countries, since it might lead to overproduction
and price reductions.
In modern times new sources of raw ma-
1), and a limited number of developing
terials are continually being discovered
countries (cf. Table 4). This limitation is
in the Arctic, the Antarctic and on the
necessary in order to condense a large
seabed. These regions are gradually being
theme into the framework of a short
made accessible to economic utilization
article.
because of advanced and rapidly devel-
Exploration of the world’s mineral
oping technology. The extraction of min-
resources has not been sufficiently exten-
crals from the sea areas and in the Arctic
sive to give us a reliable picture of their
is already a fact. In the years to come
total extent, localization and expected
this process cannot but increase in vigour
life. Various institutions therefore operate
and extent. It already seems clear that the
with varying figures for the same phenom-
process under way is of such dimensions
ena. It is mainly the mineral potential of
that it will inevitably affect political,
the new territories that represents the
economic and social realities in our mod-
greatest gap in our knowledge. In these
ern world. It is therefore mandatory upon
regions exploration has only just begun.
us to bring these developments under con-
There are therefore quite a number of
trol, so that at an early stage the problems
uncertain factors attached to statistical
can be anticipated and perhaps avoided.
estimates of the magnitude and. extent of
This article discusses some of the prob-
these mineral deposits. On the other hand,
lems with which the developing countries
the material available gives sufficient in-
may be faced if the exploitation of re-
dication of the dimensions to permit a
sources in new territories becomes more
meaningful discussion of the problems
intensive than it is today.
that can arise in connection with the
world’s future raw materials situation.
If one assumes a
I. KNOWN AND POTENTIAL
quintupling of the
world’s known
WORLD RESOURCES
resources, mankind will -
according to the calculations of ’The Club
We shall here consider only a restricted
of Rome’ - run out of aluminium, cobalt,
number of inorganic resources (cf. Table
copper, iron, manganese, nickel and oil
116
Table 1. Natural Resources that are not Replaced.
Source: Donella Meadows et al. Hvor gdr grensen? Cappelens Almaboker. Extract from
Table 4, pp. 50-53.
in the course of 173 years. Most of these
Table 2,
for
example, shows an
minerals, however, will have a consider-
estimated cobalt content in the Pacific
ably shorter life, right down to 48 years
nodules of 5,200 million tons, whilst ’The
for copper. The prospects are even gloom-
Club of Rome’s’ figure for known world
ier if we do not multiply known reserves
reserves is ‘?.18 million tons. As we know
by 5, but assume that no further reserves
that there are also manganese nodules in
will be discovered. Then their life expec-
the ocean depths elsewhere, the world’s
tation under exponentiall growth will be
total cobalt reserves must be of quite a
from 20-93 years for the minerals in
different magnitude than is shown in
question (cf. Table 1 ). There are indica-
Table 1. The same, of course, applies to
tions, however, that these calculations are
other metals.
mainly based on reserves located under
However, manganese nodules do not
land surfaces. Assessments of metal re-
represent the only supplementary reserve.
serves in the manganese nodules in the
Among discoveries made are deposits of
Pacific alone show that the world’s total
mineral concentrations of relatively large
reserves must be considerably in excess
extent and thickness at the bottom of the
of the estimates on which ’The Club of
Red Sea. These deposits contain iron,
Rome’ is working.
manganese, copper, zinc, silver and gold,
Table 2. Metal Reserves in Manganese Nodules in the Pacific Ocean.
Source: Extract from Table 3, p. 11 in Projections of Natural Resources Reserves, Supply and
Future Demand, Committee on Natural Resources, Third session, New Delhi, 5-16 Feb.
1973. ECOSOC.
-
117
(Table 1, continued)
with a possible total value of 2,000 million
Petroleum there are oil-bearing regions in
dollars. Similar metalliferous deposits also
Northern Canada that can be favourably
occur in other ocean regions.2 Seawater
compared with the Middle East and the
itself also contains vast quantities of the
Gulf coast of Texas and Louisiana.5 These
metals in question, e.g. 15,000 million tons
examples show that oil occurrences in new
of copper, 15,000 million tons of manga-
territories can have a decisive effect on
nese, 20,000 million tons of uranium, and
the present oil hegemony of the developing
so
forth. These seawater reserves are
countries, and alter the future premises of
taking part in the ocean’s own process of
world oil politics.6
electrolysis which forms the manganese
In this connection it is of interest to
nodules and enables them to grow.
consider how appraisals of the respective
As regards offshore production of oil,
magnitudes of the various mineral re-
this accounts today for 18 percent of world
sources have changed as time has passed.
production, and it is expected that in 1980
Table 3 gives an illustration of this. Over
this figure will have risen to 33 percent.$
3
the 20-year period 1940-60 estimates of
If indications given recently as to the
the size of the reserves in question altered
magnitude of oil reserves in the Arctic
by between plus 27 to plus 1221 percent.
are accurate, even stronger growth in
The relatively conservative estimates for
world offshore production can be expected
1940 are chiefly explained because more
after 1980. According to the Tass news
reliable and more comprehensive basic
agency, oil reserves under the Arctic
...
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