- Collection:
- Atlanta University and Clark Atlanta University Theses and Dissertations
- Title:
- The political economy of deep sea bed mining, 1980
- Creator:
- Bailey, Arthur James
- Date of Original:
- 1980-08-01
- Subject:
- Degrees, Academic
Dissertations, Academic - Location:
- United States, Georgia, Fulton County, Atlanta, 33.749, -84.38798
- Medium:
- theses
dissertations - Type:
- Text
- Format:
- application/pdf
- Description:
- This dissertation began from the premise that real economic growth in developing countries which benefits rich and poor countries alike, and, in that context, addresses the question: what is the likelihood that minerals from the ocean will substantially displace land production, thereby reducing the developmental prospects of a significant number of developing countries? The importance of this question rests in several related facts: first, the economic development prospects of most developing countries are directly dependent upon sustained access to the raw material import markets of developed countries; second, the economic growth strategies adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), as well as by individual developing countries, assume that the mineral import dependency of developed market economy countries will continue at least until the end of this century; third, in the meantime, the developing market economy countries can accelerate their development by increasing export prices to Group B xmpoiters; and foa: , the fact that the United - .Stares and other Croup B countries have developed the technology needed to commercially explore the oceans indicates that assumptions about, their long-'*- � TP dependence on LDC exports are incorrect. The likelihood that ocean mineral supplies will substantially displace land production is directly dependent upon several factors: first, that the ocean's mineral reserves are sufficient in size and low enough in cost to make such displacement possible; second, that there will be organized and large-scale production with the intent of displacing land production; third, that the United States and other major mineral importing countries adopt policies which favor ocean production over land suppliers; and fourth, Vat G-77 mineral exporters are unable to negotiate a Law of the Sec. (LOS) Treaty which constrains ocean mining. This research found that ocean mineral reserves are more than adequate to render the Group B states self-sufficient in at least four minerals (copper, cobalt, nickel, and manganese), and given sufficient price rises, 26 other minerals can also be obtained from the oceans. It also found that a distinct ocean mining industry has been formed encompassing some of the world's largest mining and manufacturing firms. During the course of this research, it was determined that the U.S. Government is committed to the inauguration of ocean mining within five years, and that while a LOS Treaty is likely to be adopted, the prospects such a treaty will protect the interests of land producers are not very good. Therefore, the major recommendation growing out of this research is that Group of 77 (G-77) growth strategies should be reevaluated, taking into account the potential influence of such alternative mineral suroly sources as the oceans and outer space.
Degree type: dissertation
Degree name: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department: Department of Political Science
Advisor: Jones, Mack H. - Metadata URL:
- http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12322/cau.td:1980_bailey_arthur_james.pdf
- Holding Institution:
- Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library
- Rights:
-
