Mother plucker: Steel fingers guided by AI pluck weeds rapidly and autonomously
Robot that uses AI to pull weeds may reduce poisonous herbicide use by 70% for some crops.
‘Leave the gold in the ground’: Ecuador’s forest guardians mobilise against illegal mining in Amazon
The search for the precious metal has extended into the depths of the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador.
UK backs suspension of deep-sea mining in environmental U-turn
Britain is backing a moratorium on commercial deep-sea mining, after criticism from scientists, MPs and environmentalists of its previous stance in support of the emerging industry.
‘Electrowinning’ could help win the race to clean up dirty steel
Startup Electra wants to replace blast furnaces with battery-like systems that use acid solution and clean electricity to pull pure iron out of low-grade steel ores.
‘Great news’: EU hails discovery of massive phosphate rock deposit in Norway
A massive underground deposit of high-grade phosphate rock in Norway, pitched as the world’s largest, is big enough to satisfy world demand for fertilisers, solar panels and electric car batteries over the next 100 years
Deep-sea mining for rare metals will destroy ecosystems, say scientists
An investigation by conservationists has found evidence that deep-seabed mining of rare minerals could cause “extensive and irreversible” damage to the planet.
EPA blocks Alaska Pebble Mine in salmon-rich Bristol Bay region
The Environmental Protection Agency has blocked development of the Pebble Mine project in a corner of the Bristol Bay watershed.
Chile sinks controversial mining project over environmental concerns
Chile’s government on Wednesday torpedoed a controversial billion-dollar mining project due to be built near a nature reserve that is home to a rare species of penguin.
Hunt for deep sea minerals draws scrutiny amid green push
High demand for metals ranging from copper to cobalt is pushing the mining industry to explore the world’s deepest oceans
4 Countries Harbor 80% of the World’s Deforestation Caused by Industrial Mining
While more than 70 percent of deforestation worldwide is linked to agriculture, this isn’t the only threat faced by the world’s tropical forests. Another threat is industrial mining
The tide is rising against deep sea mining
Pacific nations are leading the campaign to protect the seas
U.S. to spend $725 mln this year on abandoned coal mine cleanup
The Biden administration on Monday said $725 million in federal funds would be available to states this year to clean up abandoned coal mines.
Serbia suspends lithium mine plans after protests
Local authorities in western Serbia on Thursday suspended a plan that would allow mining giant Rio Tinto to operate a lithium mine, following protests by environmentalists that shook the country’s populist leadership.
Experts revive ancient techniques to make concrete more sustainable
A team of experts from EPFL, ETH Zurich, and Archiplein has developed a new type of non-reinforced concrete from stone offcuts. Using methods found in historical archives, the team reduced their use of carbon-intensive cement. They built and tested six load-bearing walls using recovered stone-quarry waste and three types of mortar-based binders.
Long-lost species of golden mole found and photographed for first time
A team of conservationists have rediscovered a species of golden mole that hasn’t been seen in almost 90 years.
Extreme rainfall increases exponentially with global warming
State-of-the-art climate models drastically underestimate how much extreme rainfall increases under global warming, according to a study published Monday
Turning the tide: Vietnam’s war against plastic waste
Vietnam has ambitious targets to tackle the challenge posed by plastic waste. Effective enforcement and implementation are key for success.
UN Chief Calls Antarctica ‘Sleeping Giant… Being Awoken by Climate Chaos’
“It is profoundly shocking to stand on the ice of Antarctica and hear directly from scientists how fast the ice is disappearing.”
