minerals
Newsletter
Credit: Jared Evans/Unsplash
Ohio enforces stricter measures on oil and gas drilling rights on private properties
Ohio sees a surge in forced land use for oil and gas extraction despite property owners' resistance.
In short:
- Ohio has increased the number of unitization orders, allowing oil and gas companies to drill on private lands without full owner consent.
- The state law mandates 65% owner agreement before companies can proceed, yet recent changes have eased this process significantly.
- Critics argue these legal adjustments favor the petroleum industry overwhelmingly, sidelining landowner rights and environmental concerns.
Key quote:
"All the cards are stacked against us."
— Patrick Hunkler, affected landowner
Why this matters:
The increasing frequency of these orders raises concerns about the balance of industry benefits against individual property rights and environmental impacts. This controversial approach has raised significant environmental and health concerns among residents. Many fear that the intrusion of drilling operations could lead to water contamination, air pollution, and other risks associated with fracking and traditional drilling methods. These apprehensions are compounded by reports from other regions that experienced similar expansions in drilling activity, where increases in health issues like respiratory problems and waterborne diseases were observed.
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Credit: Davie Bicker/Pixabay
Seaweed explored as a potential source for green-energy minerals
Exploring the seas for sustainability, U.S. scientists are testing seaweed as a possible miner of key minerals needed for green energy.
In short:
- U.S. researchers, backed by ARPA-E, are investing in projects to determine if seaweeds can efficiently extract and concentrate valuable minerals like platinum and rhodium.
- Experiments have indicated that seaweeds might also be processed into biofuel components and phosphorus-rich mineral extracts.
- Marine biologist Susete Pintéus highlights that while seaweed mining won't replace traditional methods, it can augment the supply of essential minerals.
Key quote:
"It’s worth exploring other possibilities that align more with our ideas of a greener world—or a bluer world."
— Schery Umanzor, lead researcher, University of Alaska at Fairbanks
Why this matters:
Harnessing seaweed for mineral extraction could lead to less environmentally invasive mining methods, offering a dual benefit of protecting marine ecosystems while sourcing critical materials for technology and energy solutions.
In push to mine for minerals, clean energy advocates ask what going green really means.
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Photo by Michael Marais on Unsplash
Fear of Chinese dominance looms over Biden Treasury Department’s next rule on electric car tax credits
Guidance from the Treasury Department will spell out how hard a line the U.S. is drawing against electric vehicles with battery parts or minerals sourced from China.
Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash
Can we mine the world’s deep ocean without destroying it?
The U.N. body charged with regulating deep-ocean mining will soon consider whether to permit the first project to move forward. But ecologist Lisa Levin, who has long studied the deep sea, worries that in the rush for key minerals, a pristine and important ecosystem will be lost.
Newsletter
Australia rejects a coal mine near Great Barrier Reef due to risk of 'irreversible damage'
The Australian government on Wednesday turned down a proposal for a new open-cut coal mine near the Great Barrier Reef, invoking environmental laws and the risk of “irreversible damage.”
There are 280 billion tons of mining waste. This startup is putting it to good use
Phoenix Tailings uses new technology to get key minerals out of mining waste.
Biden administration begins $3 billion plan for electric car batteries
The Biden administration is planning a major shift to electric vehicles, but experts say it requires a secure, resilient supply of critical minerals.
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