A “ground-breaking” scientific discovery made 13,000 feet below the ocean’s surface would fundamentally change humanity’s understanding of how oxygen is produced, but its findings are being called into question. A company with vested interests in whether or not this science is considered valid has claimed this research regarding “dark oxygen” is “flawed” and “misleading.”
The study, led by Andrew Sweetman of the Scottish Marine Association, focused on polymetallic nodules found on the ocean seabed. These nodules, rich in minerals crucial to the production of clean energy infrastructure, were identified by the researchers as potential sources of oxygen.
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Sweetman has warned that removing these nodules to extract the rare earth elements they hold could disrupt this potential source of oxygen production.
However, The Metals Company, which seeks to mine these polymetallic nodules to support renewable energy technologies such as wind turbines, solar panels and electric vehicles (EVs), has criticized Sweetman’s findings. The company disputes the existence of dark oxygen, claiming that the research is flawed.
In a statement to Straight Arrow News, The Metals Company asserted: “Rarely has a dataset been published that so emphatically undermines the leading hypothesis. Yet, Sweetman’s supposed findings of ‘dark oxygen’ were sensationalized in media headlines worldwide.”
The Metals Company has since issued a formal scientific rebuttal, accusing Sweetman’s team of omitting critical data, misrepresenting research, and conducting contaminated experiments. The company said it hopes this rebuttal will “inject some integrity into the conversation, and aid in correcting the scientific record.”
In response, the Scottish Marine Association indicated that it is preparing a counter to The Metals Company’s critique, maintaining that its research was transparent. Sweetman’s team stated, “We don’t have anything to hide.”
A GROUNDBREAKING DISCOVERY – 13-THOUSAND-FEET BELOW THE OCEAN’S SURFACE.
OVER THE SUMMER – SCIENTISTS CLAIMED TO HAVE FOUND SOMETHING THAT WOULD CHANGE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW OXYGEN IS CREATED.
BUT NOW – THE RESEARCH INTO SO CALLED ‘DARK OXYGEN’ IS BEING CALLED INTO QUESTION.
FROM A COMPANY WITH A VESTED INTEREST IN WHETHER THIS SCIENCE IS CONSIDERED VALID.
STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS REPORTED ON THE DISCOVERY – RESEARCHERS SAY POLYMETALLIC NODULES ARE A SOURCE OF OXYGEN ON THE SEABED.
THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED BY THE SCOTTISH MARINE ASSOCIATION.
IT’S LEAD AUTHOR ANDREW SWEETMAN WARNS THAT THESE ROCKS- FILLED WITH MINERALS VITAL TO MAKING CLEAN ENERGY TECH- SHOULD NOT BE REMOVED BECAUSE OF THEIR OXYGEN PRODUCING POTENTIAL.
HOWEVER, MINING THEM IS EXACTLY WHAT A GROUP CALLED THE METALS COMPANY WANTS TO DO-
INTENDING TO USE THE RARE EARTHS INSIDE THESE NODULES TO PRODUCE RENEWABLES LIKE WIND TURBINES, SOLAR PANELS, AND EVS.
THEY BELIEVE THE CONCLUSIONS REACHED BY SWEETMAN’S TEAM ARE FLAWED AND MISLEADING.
SAYING IN A STATEMENT TO STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS-
WE WOULD SUGGEST THAT RARELY HAS A DATASET BEEN PUBLISHED THAT SO EMPHATICALLY UNDERMINES THE LEADING HYPOTHESIS. YET, SWEETMAN’S SUPPOSED FINDINGS OF ‘DARK OXYGEN’ WERE SENSATIONALIZED IN MEDIA HEADLINES WORLDWIDE.
THE METALS COMPANY JUST RELEASED AN OFFICIAL SCIENTIFIC REBUTTAL TO THE DARK OXYGEN FINDINGS-
ACCUSING THEM OF OMITTING KEY DATA, MISREPRESENTING RESEARCH, AND CONTAMINATING THEIR CORE EXPERIMENTS.
THE COMPANY TELLING US THEY HOPE THEIR REBUTTAL MIGHT INJECT SOME INTEGRITY INTO THE CONVERSATION, AND AID IN CORRECTING THE SCIENTIFIC RECORD.
MEANWHILE, THE SCOTTISH MARINE ASSOCIATION INDICATED THEY ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF COUNTERING THE METALS COMPANY’S CRITIQUE-
SAYING QUOTE “WE DON’T HAVE ANYTHING TO HIDE.”
FOR MORE ON THIS ONGOING DEBATE OVER POLYMETALLIC NODULES, DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP AND SIGN UP FOR ALERTS FROM ME – JACK AYLMER- TO STAY INFORMED.
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