Researchers and companies are aiming to draw key minerals, including lithium and magnesium, from ocean water, desalination plant residue, and industrial waste brine. They say their processes will use less land and produce less pollution than mining, but major hurdles remain.
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INTERVIEW
Tracking Illicit Brazilian Beef from the Amazon to Your Burger
Journalist Marcel Gomes has traced beef in supermarkets and fast food restaurants in the U.S. and Europe to Brazilian ranches on illegally cleared land. In an e360 interview, he talks about the challenges of documenting the supply chains and getting companies to clean them up.
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Solutions
In a Dammed and Diked Mekong, a Push to Restore the Flow
Facing increasing land subsidence, saltwater intrusion, and flooding linked with development, Vietnam has committed to changing its approach to managing the Mekong Delta. New initiatives call for retrofitting dikes and dams to restore flood regimes, using nature as a guide.
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INTERVIEW
How One South African Community Stopped Shell Oil in Its Tracks
Activist Nonhle Mbuthuma founded a local organization along South Africa’s Wild Coast to fight a proposed strip mine 17 years ago. Despite ongoing personal threats, she’s still working to protect her community from oil exploration and other potentially harmful development.
ANALYSIS
Will New Leader End Progress in Saving Indonesia’s Forests?
In the last decade, Indonesia has made significant headway in halting the loss of its forests. But the election of military man Prabowo Subianto as president is raising concerns that a boom in mining nickel, used in EV batteries, could lead to a new wave of deforestation.
E360 Digest
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How Airborne Dust Is Helping the Southern Ocean Soak Up Our Emissions
A new study reveals the extent to which airborne dust in the Southern Ocean is fueling plankton blooms that absorb our emissions. More about How Airborne Dust Is Helping the Southern Ocean Soak Up Our Emissions →
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How a Small Herd of Romanian Bison Is Locking Away Thousands of Tons of Carbon
Gone from Romania for 200 years, European bison were reintroduced to the Țarcu Mountains, at the southern end of the Carpathian range, in 2014. Now numbering 170, the bison are reshaping the mountain landscape in ways that are helping clean up emissions. More about How a Small Herd of Romanian Bison Is Locking Away Thousands of Tons of Carbon →
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Last Summer Was the Hottest in More Than 2,000 Years
The summer of 2023 was the hottest summer in the Northern Hemisphere since the height of the Roman Empire, a new study finds. More about Last Summer Was the Hottest in More Than 2,000 Years →
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Solutions
Solomon Islands Tribes Sell Carbon Credits, Not Their Trees
In a South Pacific nation ravaged by logging, several tribes joined together to sell “high integrity” carbon credits on international markets. The project not only preserves their highly biodiverse rainforest, but it funnels life-changing income to Indigenous landowners.
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Oceans
Dire Straits: Can a Fishing Ban Save the Elusive European Eel?
The European eel, whose life cycle remains shrouded in mystery, is a staple of the continent’s cultures and cuisines. But after decades of decline in its populations, scientists are calling for a total ban on catching the iconic fish, which is facing a multitude of threats.
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Climate
Scientists Are Trying to Coax the Ocean to Absorb More CO2
For billions of years, the oceans have been absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere. Now, to boost that drawdown, startup companies and researchers are experimenting with ‘marine carbon dioxide removal’ by altering the chemistry of the ocean and sinking biomass to the seafloor.
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RIVERS
Jared Kushner Has Big Plans for Delta of Europe’s Last Wild River
Albania’s Vjosë River is known as Europe’s last wild river, and its pristine delta is a haven for migratory birds. As plans for luxury developments there — spearheaded by Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner — move ahead, conservationists are sounding the alarm.
