Chatham Rock Phosphate - CRP

[upfrontal]

Another reason why I don't read the Herald (from 7th May 2015)

Morocco took over Western Sahara in 1975 when colonial power Spain withdrew. Civil war followed until 1991, when the UN brokered a peace and sent its peacekeepers in. However, Morocco still considers the area its own (it's extremely mineral rich) and stands accused of terrible acts, including driving 200,000 West Saharans into refugee camps.
New Zealand has just voted in lock-step with other members of the Security Council to keep the peace-keeping mission there for another year, but agreed to Morocco's demand that human rights checks be kept off the agenda. No doubt we were also mindful that New Zealand fertiliser companies are the third largest buyers of Western Sahara phosphate rock in the world - a trade human rights groups deplore.

[artemis]

Looks like change is on the way ---

Deep-sea mining looms on horizon as UN body issues contracts. But now, the era of deep seabed mining appears to be dawning fueled by technological advances in robotics and dwindling land-based deposits. Rising demand for copper, cobalt, gold and the rare-earth elements vital in manufacturing smartphones and other high-tech products is causing a prospecting rush to the dark seafloor thousands of meters (yards) beneath the waves.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/n...ectid=11486860

[PSE]

Another reason why I don't read the Herald (from 7th May 2015)

Morocco took over Western Sahara in 1975 when colonial power Spain withdrew. Civil war followed until 1991, when the UN brokered a peace and sent its peacekeepers in. However, Morocco still considers the area its own (it's extremely mineral rich) and stands accused of terrible acts, including driving 200,000 West Saharans into refugee camps.
New Zealand has just voted in lock-step with other members of the Security Council to keep the peace-keeping mission there for another year, but agreed to Morocco's demand that human rights checks be kept off the agenda. No doubt we were also mindful that New Zealand fertiliser companies are the third largest buyers of Western Sahara phosphate rock in the world - a trade human rights groups deplore.

Not sure the point here but the argument that we should damage our environment because otherwise third world countries would do it is another race to the bottom.
It's an old argument too, from the industrial revolution "If we do not employ the children in the mills, they only remain in conditions unfavourable to their development"
Instead invest in real companies with positive outcomes and one day the argument for CRP will also be archaic.

[Food4Thought]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-e...eing-destroyed

Maybe a bit relevant... ecosystem damaged by practices not really environmentally friendly...
Good idea... bad idea. You have a choice.

[upfrontal]

My apologies PSE that I did not make my concerns clear with my earlier statement regarding the UN's presence in Western Sahara, the below articles should clarify it:

International Business Times 2^nd Dec 2014

The terrorist entity of ISIS has taken control of the phosphate facility at al-Qaem and is transferring raw material of phosphate to Raqqa in Syria," the ministry said in a statement on its website, as reported by Al Arabiya News.
Al-Qaem is located some 400 km northwest of Baghdad and has been Iraq's main source of fertilizer. In 2011, the US Geological Survey had said that Iraq had "world-class" reserves of phosphate, the world's second biggest after Morocco, reports the Financial Times.
Syrian Observer 26^th May 2015

ISIS announced its seizure of the phosphate mines near the town of as-Sawwanah, south of the city of Palmyra, following clashes with regime forces in the region.

The extremist group’s official radio station announced the organization successfully seized the town of as-Sawwanah – between Damascus and Palmyra – and the surrounding phosphate mines. ISIS forces also seized a warehouse belonging to a Syrian army battalion, capturing tens of tons of munitions, "while dozens of regime forces fleeing the city of Palmyra were killed in the operation", the radio station added.

Sources noted that ISIS’ seizure of as-Sawwanah mines came after it seized the Busairi checkpoint, located in strategic point on the road between Damascus and Palmyra. Busairi checkpoint is one of the largest military points in the region and is tasked with protecting the train station dedicated to the transfer of phosphate to the Syrian coast.

According to ISIS media sources, the regime expected financial losses due to the capture of the phosphate mines are estimated at $250 million USD annually, with all fields and mines now under ISIS control.

Activists from the city of Palmyra also claim ISIS fighters raided a house north of the city of Palmyra yesterday, where 17 pro-regime militants were said to be hiding. All of the militants were reportedly either killed or captured.

New York Times

Last week (I forget the day but can post the article if requested) there was an excellent editorial on how the US may need to change it's viewpoint on ISIS from a terrorist organisation to a group focused on building a nation. They drew comparisons to Britain in the medieval times (ruling by fear, consolidation of resources by force).

Why do you think ISIS is so interested in phosphate?

I also heard an article on BBC radio regarding Morocco's dominance of the phosphate market with a specialist providing assurance that any country that provides 70% of the world supply of a single resource will not be allowed to fall into ISIS hands. He stated 'all major countries with an interest in that resource will have military defence plans to protect that resource'

Why do you think there is a UN peace keeping mission there? The Herald article makes it clear it is not to protect the population from human rights abuses

What do you think NZ's response will be if ISIS do take an interest in Morroco's phosphate resources?

You would be happy with NZ forces going to Morroco?

[upfrontal]

Posted my reply twice for some reason

[upfrontal]

PSE: Trying to see the link between your denigration of US foreign policy and sending NZ boys and girls half way round the world to fight over a resource we have 400km off our coast.

I agree that we should not be sucking this resource from the rise if we can help it but the possibility of NZ forces dying to protect our seabed does not sit well with me.

I take your point regarding providing support to the anti ISIS factions but what support do you propose NZ provide? You are condoning sending our forces over there?

[Daytr]

Or we could just source our phosphate from Russia or South Africa, both producers of low cadmium phosphate.
We also need to examine how much fertilizer we are apply to our farm land. We have plenty of regulation over effluent, but very little I understand in regards the quantity of nitrates etc we spread via fertilizer that ultimately ends up in the water tables, our rivers and estuaries.

[cammo]

The rock phosphate nodules are bioavailable but do not exhibit anywhere near the leaching capability of triple phosphate. Explore the sulfuric acid treatment of mined phosphate and consider the environmental damage caused by this process versus suction dredging crushing and application of the crp resource

[upfrontal]

Or we could just source our phosphate from Russia or South Africa, both producers of low cadmium phosphate.
We also need to examine how much fertilizer we are apply to our farm land. We have plenty of regulation over effluent, but very little I understand in regards the quantity of nitrates etc we spread via fertilizer that ultimately ends up in the water tables, our rivers and estuaries.

This was buried in this years budget under "Driving Primary Sector Export Growth":

Additional funding will help to improve the OVERSEER nutrient management tool, which is an important tool for setting and managing within environmental limits. It helps farmers and growers to improve their productivity, reduce nutrient leaching into waterways, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The funding is part of a plan to significantly improve OVERSEER over the next 3 years.

You are right in that we have little regulation over effluent but if the CRP product is as good an environmental product as touted (both in terms of leaching and reduced emissions through transport), then may start to be pressure from the farmers for it to become available on the market.

As an aside I found interesting that this budget also included $52million to upgrade the Chatham Islands wharf, good to see this success after it was flagged as needing replacement 4 years ago