Articles tagged with "resource-extraction"
Water Wars Come To Texas - CleanTechnica
The article "Water Wars Come To Texas" from CleanTechnica highlights the escalating conflicts over groundwater rights in Texas, rooted in the state's adherence to the "rule of capture." This legal principle, originating from English common law, allows landowners to extract as much groundwater as they wish from beneath their property, even if it negatively impacts neighboring wells. This has led to concerns that individuals or companies could deplete entire aquifers for profit. A notable case involves hedge fund manager Kyle Bass, whose entities have proposed extracting about 15 billion gallons annually from the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in East Texas. While Bass claims he has no buyers lined up yet, communities like San Antonio are already investing in long pipelines to access distant water sources, intensifying local fears of wells running dry. The issue has sparked significant local opposition, exemplified by a large turnout at a Neches & Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation District meeting, where residents voiced concerns about industrial profiteering and environmental harm. Despite the community
energywater-managementgroundwateraquiferpipelineTexas-energy-policyresource-extractionWhat is asteroid mining and how close are we to making it a reality?
The article explores the concept of asteroid mining, which involves extracting valuable materials such as precious metals (platinum-group metals, iron, nickel, cobalt) and volatiles (water, hydrogen, oxygen) from asteroids and other off-Earth bodies like the Moon. These resources could alleviate Earth’s supply constraints and environmental impacts associated with terrestrial mining, while also supporting in-space infrastructure, such as life support and rocket propellant. The Moon is also considered a target due to its potential isotopes like helium-3, which may have future applications in fusion energy. Techniques like “optical mining,” which uses concentrated sunlight for excavation, are proposed to simplify operations in microgravity. Although full-scale asteroid mining has not yet been realized, significant progress has been made through sample-return and reconnaissance missions. Notably, Japan’s JAXA Hayabusa2 mission collected and returned samples from asteroid Ryugu in 2020, providing valuable data on carbonaceous materials and water content. Similarly, NASA’s
space-miningasteroid-miningrare-materialslunar-resourcesplatinum-group-metalsspace-economyresource-extractionChina's rare earth dominance keeps the US in a strategic bind
The article highlights China’s strategic dominance in the rare earth supply chain, contrasting it with the United States’ focus on upstream mining and political maneuvering. While the US primarily extracts rare earth ores, China has developed a comprehensive, end-to-end supply chain encompassing efficient separation, purification, and downstream processing. This dominance did not arise overnight; it is the result of decades of technological innovation and strategic investment, particularly following breakthroughs in the 1970s that allowed China to move from exporting raw ores to producing high-purity rare earth elements at scale. A pivotal figure in this transformation was Xu Guangxian, who in 1972 introduced the “rare earth cascade extraction” method, significantly improving the efficiency and purity of rare earth separation. This innovation enabled China to industrialize rare earth refining without relying on expensive Western equipment, allowing it to surpass Japan and the US in practical refining capabilities. Subsequently, China aggressively lowered prices, outcompeting Western producers and becoming the primary global hub for rare earth processing.
materialsrare-earth-elementssupply-chainmining-technologyChina-dominanceindustrial-innovationresource-extractionTrump administration may sell deep-sea mining leases at startup’s urging
robotdeep-sea-miningautonomous-vehiclescritical-mineralsenvironmental-impactunderwater-technologyresource-extractionHồ nước thải có thể cung cấp 40 tấn đất hiếm mỗi năm
rare-earth-elementswastewater-treatmentmining-technologysustainable-resourcesenvironmental-sciencechemical-engineeringresource-extractionHồ nước thải có thể cung cấp 40 triệu tấn đất hiếm mỗi năm
rare-earth-elementswastewater-treatmentmining-technologyenvironmental-sustainabilityresource-extractionchemical-engineeringacid-mine-drainageTàu đổ bộ tư nhân Nhật Bản tiến vào quỹ đạo Mặt Trăng
robotspace-explorationlunar-landingenergy-efficiencyresource-extractionispaceTenacious