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Deep-Sea Mining Could Yield a Nearly Limitless Supply of Rare Metals.

Is It Worth the Cost?

Popular Mechanics 

The deep ocean is a mysterious, pitch-black world populated by creatures specially adapted to the crushing pressure, the dark, and the near-freezing temperatures. Though the ocean covers 70 percent of Earth’s surface, less than one percent of the deep ocean—about 200 meters deep, where light begins to dwindle—has been mapped. Frequently, when scientists explore there, they discover species we never even knew existed. But they also have discovered that this ecosystem is full of metals like manganese, nickel, cobalt, and lithium that humans use in everything from phones and electric cars to wind turbines.

Private companies and a number of countries are eager to mine these metals, though the process is generally very destructive to ecosystems. After scientists simply raked the seabed in a 1972 experiment to test the environmental impacts, the area they tested never recovered.

Yet, companies may soon get the green light to conduct deep-sea mining anyway.

Simple Living in the Southwest

I never thought I’d ask my children this question, but here it was: “Would you rather have a house with land or indoor plumbing?”

My children, ages 9, 11 and 13, didn’t hesitate: “Land,” they said. That settled it. After months of combing the internet for houses in northern New Mexico, I had finally found one with everything we’d said we wanted. It was near the mountains; it had trees; it was only 30 minutes from Taos; and even though it sat on five acres, it was still within my meager budget. The house was also located in a gorgeous spot, with one set of mountains looming large to the east, and a charming valley stretching away to the west, bordered by ethereal ranges of mountains beyond. More

A recent report by Mordor Intelligence shows the global biodegradable packaging market is expected to jump 40 percent, from $85 billion in 2018 to $119 billion by 2024. This indicates that more and more companies are switching to biodegradables.

Recyclable packaging is expected to jump 30 percent from $217.45 billion in 2018 to $281.86 billion by 2024.

Nielsen shows that 73 percent of consumers would “probably or definitely” change their consumption habits to reduce their impact on the environment. More

 

Why Corporate Sustainability is a Mainstay in 2020 and Beyond

Levi Strauss & Co. introduced a line of jeans in 2019 with 31 percent hemp, and by 2025 they hope to be selling 100 percent hemp jeans. Cotton, the main ingredient of their jeans, requires nearly 10,000 liters per kilo to grow; hemp needs less than 500 liters. Cotton production also generates much higher CO2 emissions. This is all part of the company’s attempt to experiment with ways to make its jeans more sustainable, which also includes a partnership with Evernu, which reconstitutes used fabrics so they can be used again.Similarly, Hasbro announced that it intends to phase out plastic from new product packaging, including polybags, elastic bands, shrink wrap, window sheets, and blister packs by 2022. Hasbro joined TerraCycle in a toy recycling program that turns old toys into “materials to be used in the construction of play spaces, flowerpots, park benches, and other innovative uses.”  Today, thousands of companies are working hard to reduce their carbon footprint, eliminate single-use plastics, and transform their products and services to be more sustainable. More

Green Insulation: Best Choices for Your Home

Installing insulation is one of the most environmentally friendly things a homeowner can do. About 65 percent of U.S. houses are poorly insulated, a 2005 Harvard study estimates. Fortunately, you can cut heating and cooling bills by about 30 percent with proper insulation.

These days, insulation is made with everything from newspaper and sheep’s wool to cotton and chemical foams. Many are far more “green” than their predecessors-including formaldehyde-free and recycled-content insulation. Even fiberglass, that old standard, has improved environmentally. More

Walking Trails Create Community

Pound Ridge, a beautiful wooded area 40 miles from New York City, is a place people go to get away from other people. Some past and present residents have included Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins, Glenn Close, Chevy Chase and Richard Gere. Mostly they buy large tracts of land to insulate themselves from others — including neighbors. That’s one reason Paul Zofnass, president of Environmental Financial Consulting Group, had such trouble rallying his illustrious neighbors to action. more

Can a Wave Energy Park Serve as an Artificial Reef?

Artificial reefs are objects introduced into the ocean to provide a habitat for sea creatures. From sunken ships to old busses, scientists have repurposed numerous types of hard surfaces dropped to the sea floor to provide habitat and increase biodiversity. Where previously only burrowing creatures could live, the introduction of an artificial reef creates an instant city that attracts fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and others that prefer hard-walled homes. Such biodiversity is essential for ocean health. Some artificial reefs are beautiful to begin with, like the gallery of statues called Silent Evolution off the coast of Cancun; others begin as junk and are made beautiful by the life that grows on and around them, and by the patinas the saltwater gives them over time. And some artificial reefs can start their lives as wave energy parks.

 The question of whether marine energy installations could serve as artificial reefs has been studied for years. Several of those studies have been done in collaboration with Seabased, with wave energy parks built off the Swedish coast. In these parks near Sotenäs and Lysekil, gravity-based linear generators – somewhat resembling large spark plugs with concrete bases – were installed at a depth of 25 or 50 meters. While folks at the surface celebrated the world’s first multi-generator grid-connected wave parks, scientists watched and took measurements to see what the environmental impact would be. More

Uncovering Taos Through Ecotourism

Some people lead wilderness adventures designed to create a little adrenaline cocktail of nature as part of a tourism experience.Stuart Wilde and Steve Harris aren’t those kinds of guides. Wilde and Harris are part of a group of Taos-area guides and business owners who’ve created wilderness experiences with big goals in mind: They want people to fall in love with Northern New Mexico; to be impassioned about protecting wilderness; to be transformed personally. And they want it to be fun. They call themselves ecotourism guides — guides whose tourist-leading activities somehow end up benefiting the environment. More

Greater World Earthship Community

It’s hard to pinpoint the coolest thing about the Greater World Earthship Community outside of Taos, New Mexico. More

Town Runs on Pig Poop

BioTown: The tiny burg of Reynolds, Indiana, is working to free itself from the power grid (and from foreign oil) and to fuel its homes and businesses entirely on converted local waste. More