Using microbes to get more out of mining waste
Researchers have developed a new mining technique which uses microbes to recover metals and store carbon in the waste produced by mining. Adopting this technique of reusing mining waste, called tailings, could transform the mining industry and create.....»»
Endangered Galapagos tortoises suffer from human waste: Study
Endangered giant Galapagos tortoises continue to swallow plastic and other human waste despite a ban on disposable plastic items in the Ecuadoran archipelago, according to a study published Wednesday......»»
Food waste prevention in Europe can generate major footprint savings
New research shows that European food consumption draws unnecessarily excessively on global resources, which is why researchers are calling for political action. Many of the foods that are consumed in Europe are produced in countries outside Europe......»»
Plastic waste in rivers may carry dangerous microbes: Study
Plastic litter in rivers might be allowing dangerous pathogens to hitch-hike downstream, a new study published Wednesday found......»»
NASA"s robotic prospectors are helping scientists understand what asteroids are made of, setting the stage for mining
The cars, cellphones, computers and televisions that people in the U.S. use every day require metals like copper, cobalt and platinum to build. Demand from the electronics industry for these metals is only rising, and companies are constantly searchi.....»»
I tested Intel’s Core i5-14600K against its cheaper sibling. Don’t waste your money
Intel's new Core i5-14600K is positioned as a midrange champ, but can it best last-gen's Core i5-13600K? We put them head-to-head......»»
A decision-support tool gives second life to food waste
European scientists, companies and clusters developed a decision-support tool that identifies what residues from food production can be recycled and how. The software supports a decision-making process that is not only based on technical criteria, bu.....»»
All mines eventually close—how can mining towns like Mount Isa best manage the ups and downs?
The announcement by Glencore last week that its Mount Isa copper mines will close in 2025 is significant for the town......»»
Analysis finds diversity on the smallest scales in sulfur-cycling salt marsh microbes
At the surface, salt marshes and their windswept grasses can look deceptively simple. But those marshes are teeming with biodiversity, from the insects and migrating birds in the air all the way down to the microbes that live in the soil. Scientists.....»»
Recycling used wood can make a big contribution to net zero, but needs much better coordination
As global demand for wood is forecast to increase by up to 170% by 2050, a new study published in Nature Communications demonstrates the importance of achieving net zero targets through the better use of waste wood and proposes solutions for how this.....»»
Arctic archipelago turns the page on its mining past
At the old Svea mine in the Arctic, broken railway tracks overgrown with weeds lead nowhere. Of the hundred buildings that once made up the town, there's almost nothing left......»»
Sunflower extract fights fungi to keep blueberries fresh
Opening a clamshell of berries and seeing them coated in fuzzy mold is a downer. And it's no small problem. Gray mold and other fungi, which cause fruit to rot, lead to significant economic losses and food waste......»»
Biological fingerprints in soil show where diamond-containing ore is buried
Researchers have identified buried kimberlite, the rocky home of diamonds, by testing the DNA of microbes in the surface soil......»»
Cold storage research could put a freeze on red meat waste
A new report shows inconsistent fridge temperatures and confusing cold storage advice could be contributing to meat waste in Aussie households......»»
New ammonia reaction could offer a sustainable source of nitrogen
A big goal in chemistry is to find a simple way to produce amines from ammonia and unsaturated hydrocarbons. Catalytic addition to activate and transfer ammonia would not give rise to any waste. Hence, the process would be sustainable......»»
Under a temporary mining ban, four rare plant species can bloom in San Bernardino forest
Four threatened and endangered plant species growing in the San Bernardino National Forest will have an opportunity to thrive following the adoption of a plan by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service that temporarily bans new lim.....»»
Space is starting to look like the better mining operation
Mining in space might be less environmentally harmful than mining asteroids on Earth. Enlarge / Metallic asteroids contain more than a thousand times as much nickel as the Earth's crust. (credit: Arne Hodalic/Getty) Eve.....»»
Safely removing nanoplastics from water using "Prussian blue", a pigment used to dye jeans
Plastic waste breaks down over time into nanoplastics (.....»»
New class of recyclable polymer materials could one day help reduce single-use plastic waste
Hundreds of millions of tons of single-use plastic ends up in landfills every year, and even the small percentage of plastic that gets recycled can't last forever. But our group of materials scientists has developed a new method for creating and deco.....»»
Things Are Looking Up for Asteroid Mining
Asteroids are rich with the metals used in clean energy technologies. As demand soars, advocates argue that mining them in space might be better than mining them on Earth......»»
Study shows maternal microbiota can affect fetal development
In a Finnish study, significant differences in the gene activity of the fetal intestine, brain and placenta were identified, depending on the microbes in the mother's body and the compounds produced by them. The findings indicate that maternal microb.....»»