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☆ ‘Conan the Bacterium’ is extremely radiation-resistant for a surprising reason
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-11 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

For the previous study, the team measured the amount of manganese antioxidants in the cells of the bacteria. The researchers found that the amount of radiation that a microorganism could survive was directly related to its amount of manganese antioxidants. So the more manganese antioxidants present, the more resistance to radiation. This antioxidant has been used in radiation-inactivated polyvalent vaccines, which rely on radiation to shut down pathogens like chlamydia. The study team analyzed how MDP’s active components, including manganese, phosphate and a peptide called DP1, protect cells and proteins from radiation exposure.

Persons: “, ”, Brian Hoffman, Charles E, Emma H, Morrison, Hoffman, Michaely Daly, Daly, Deinococcus radiodurans, radiodurans, ” Hoffman, Tetyana Milojevic, Tetyana, ” Daly Organizations: CNN, National Academy of Sciences, biosciences, Northwestern University’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, World Records, International Space Station, Uniformed Services University of, Health Sciences, National Academies ’, Planetary, University of Orléans, MDP Locations: Mars, France

☆ Norway hits pause on controversial deep-sea mining plans
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-02 | by ( Sam Meredith | In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store gives a speech during the Autumn 2024 conference of Equinor, a Norwegian multinational energy company, in Oslo, Norway on November 26, 2024. Norway has shelved plans to open a vast ocean area at the bottom of the Arctic for commercial-scale deep-sea mining. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre described the move as a "postponement," Reuters reported Sunday, citing comments delivered to private broadcaster TV2. Støre leads Norway's center-left Labor Party, which is the senior party in a minority government coalition with the Center Party. The practice of deep-sea mining involves using heavy machinery to remove minerals and metals — such as cobalt, nickel, copper and manganese — from the seabed, where they build up as potato-sized nodules.

Persons: Jonas Gahr, Jonas Gahr Støre, Støre Organizations: Norway's, Socialist Left Party, Reuters, TV2, Labor Party, Center Party Locations: Norwegian, Oslo, Norway, Norway's, Germany, Britain, Canada, Mexico

☆ It’s easier than you might think for teens to buy restricted e-cigarette devices online
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-11 | by ( Sam Tupper | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Although sales of tobacco products have been restricted in hundreds of municipalities across the US, a new study is highlighting some loopholes that allow children to bypass online regulations to buy e-cigarettes. Though the sales of flavored tobacco products have been restricted in eight states and in nearly 400 cities or counties, these regulations don’t completely cover e-commerce or online shopping. “People will not tell the truth when they enter their age, and it’s remarkably easy for kids to get tobacco products mailed to them. More than 1 in 4 underage people report using e-cigarettes daily, and most youth who use e-cigarettes favor flavored products. “Prohibiting tobacco sales completely, or states putting some more restrictions on how the products are delivered to people, can help make e-cigarettes harder to purchase,” he said.

Persons: ”, Thomas Carr, Carr, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, ” Carr Organizations: CNN, Tobacco Survey, Children, United States Postal Service, JAMA, USPS, American Lung Association, ” Tobacco, Food and Drug Administration, Tobacco Control, CNN Health, American Academy of Pediatrics, FDA

☆ GM ditching 'Ultium' name for batteries and tech amid EV changes
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-09 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Aside from EVs, GM touted its lowering capital costs and the company’s flexibility to produce both traditional vehicles with internal combustion engines and EVs. Shares of GM were roughly level aside from a roughly 3% increase during the beginning of the event. The change to Ultium comes after GM spent billions of dollars to develop in-house “Ultium” batteries and technologies that the automaker previously touted as “revolutionary” and the ultimate technologies to be able to build a profitable EV business. The company said the batteries and the technologies will remain, but the name “Ultium” will not, other than production operations such as its “Ultium Cells” joint venture plants with LG Energy Solution. GM has been rethinking its EV battery strategy amid changing market conditions and an influx of new, outside executives, including Tesla veterans JP Clausen, who now leads GM manufacturing, and Kurt Kelty, GM’s vice president of battery.

Persons: GM, EVs, Ultium, ”, JP Clausen, Kurt Kelty, Mary Barra, ” Kelty, Rory Harvey, “, Orion Organizations: DETROIT, Detroit automaker, GM, LG Energy, Tesla, LG, South Korea’s Samsung SDI, CNBC, Orion Locations: North America, Orion Township , Michigan, U.S, Detroit

☆ Heavy metals may raise cardiovascular disease risk, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Coronary calcium buildup causes atherosclerosis, a chronic and inflammatory cardiovascular disease marked by narrowed arterial walls and thus reduced blood flow. Environmental contaminants have been increasingly recognized as risk factors for cardiovascular disease, but the association of metals with coronary artery calcification has been “largely unknown,” the study authors said. They hypothesized that higher urinary levels of nonessential metals — cadmium, tungsten and uranium — and essential metals — cobalt, copper and zinc — that have previously been associated with cardiovascular disease may be linked with calcification. The participants didn’t already have clinical cardiovascular disease and were recruited from Baltimore; Chicago; Los Angeles; New York City; St. Paul, Minnesota; and Winston Salem, North Carolina. The trouble with measuring urinary metal levelsThe study has a few other limitations.

Persons: Drs, Sadeer, Khurram Nasir, Sanjay Rajagopalan, weren’t, ”, Katlyn, McGraw, Winston, cardiologists, Andrew Freeman, wasn’t, they’re, ” Freeman, “ It’s, ‘, Kindi, Nasir, Rajagopalan, ” McGraw, —, Freeman Organizations: CNN, American College of Cardiology, Houston Methodist, University Hospitals Harrington, & Vascular Institute, Columbia University’s Mailman, of Public Health, Jewish Health Locations: Cleveland, Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles ; New York City, St, Paul , Minnesota, Winston Salem , North Carolina, Denver, Columbia

☆ Heavy metals found in tampons prompt FDA investigation
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-10 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The US Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that it will examine the potential harm to women of heavy metals such as lead and arsenic found in tampons. The FDA’s action follows the July publication of a small pilot study that found arsenic and lead in organic and nonorganic tampons. The July study discovered only the presence of the metals and “did not test whether metals are released from tampons when used,” the FDA said in a statement Tuesday. “However, there is no reason for people to be afraid to use menstrual products at this time,” Pollack added. That advice also applies to anyone concerned about heavy metals or chemicals in their menstrual products, experts say.

Persons: “, Kathrin Schilling, ” Schilling, nonorganic tampons, hasn’t, ”, Anna Pollack, Pollack, ” Pollack Organizations: CNN, Food and Drug Administration, US Environmental Protection Agency, FDA, Consumer Healthcare, Association, Columbia University’s Mailman, of Public Health, American Chemistry Council, “, for Disease Control, Prevention, George Mason University Locations: tampons, U.S, United States, United Kingdom, Greece, New York City, Fairfax , Virginia

☆ 'A different perspective': This top marine scientist is determined to resolve deep-sea mining's murky future
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-27 | by ( Sam Meredith | In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Environmental activists calling for an international moratorium on deep-sea mining. Pallava Bagla | Corbis News | Getty ImagesCarvalho's election victory comes at a time of intense debate about the future of deep-sea mining and the world's oceans. Scientists have warned that the full environmental impacts of deep-sea mining are hard to predict. I would be very much concerned to have a mining exploitation request sat on my table without a mining code. "I would be very much concerned to have a mining exploitation request sat on my table without a mining code," Carvalho said.

Persons: Leticia Carvalho, Carvalho, Michael Lodge, Gerard Barron, Carolyn Cole Organizations: Getty, International, Authority, CNBC, ISA, Corbis, ISA Council, The Metals Company, Los Angeles Times, Istock Locations: Leticia Carvalho Brazilian, Jamaica, Nauru

☆ Scientists discover ‘dark’ oxygen being produced more than 13,000 feet below the ocean surface
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-22 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

It’s also possible, these scientists warn, that deep-sea mining could disrupt the way carbon is stored in the ocean, contributing to the climate crisis. A documentary about deep-sea mining that Sweetman watched in a hotel bar in São Paulo, Brazil, unleashed a breakthrough. However, several countries, including the United Kingdom and France, have expressed caution, supporting a moratorium or ban on deep-sea mining to safeguard marine ecosystems and conserve biodiversity. Earlier this month, Hawaii banned deep-sea mining in its state waters. Many unanswered questions remain about how dark oxygen is produced and what role it plays in the deep-sea ecosystem.

Persons: Andrew Sweetman, they’re, ”, Sweetman, ‘, SAMS, I’ve, “, Franz Geiger, ’ ”, Geiger, Charles E, Emma H, Morrison, Daniel Jones, Beth Orcutt, Orcutt, Craig Smith, Smith, Camille Bridgewater, Hawaii’s Smith, ” Geiger, Diva Amon, ” Sweetman Organizations: CNN, Clarion, Scottish Association for Marine Science, Nature, NHMDeepSea, SMARTEX, International, Authority, UN, AA, Northwestern University, Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, National Oceanography, Bigelow Laboratory, Ocean Sciences, University of Hawaii, Geological Survey, University Locations: São Paulo, Brazil, Evanston , Illinois, Southampton, England, Maine, Mānoa, Jamaica, United Kingdom, France, Hawaii, Clarion

☆ Tampons contain lead, arsenic and potentially toxic chemicals, studies say. Here’s what to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —The average menstruating person will spend about five years of their total reproductive lifespan using an estimated 11,000 tampons, sanitary pads, panty liners and other menstrual products, experts say. What if some of those menstrual aids contain heavy metals or potentially toxic chemicals linked to chronic diseases and reproductive and developmental problems? “I do not want people to panic, but to be aware that heavy metals have been found in these menstrual products,” Schilling said. “However, there is no reason for people to be afraid to use menstrual products at this time,” she added. The team ran tests for 16 heavy metals: arsenic, barium, calcium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, mercury, nickel, lead, selenium, strontium, vanadium and zinc.

Persons: Kathrin Schilling, ” Schilling, Amanda Hils, ” Hils, Anna Pollack, ”, Pollack, “, tampons Schilling, nonorganic tampons, hasn’t, Nancy King Reame, Reame Organizations: CNN, US Environmental Protection Agency, Columbia University’s Mailman, of Public Health, US Food and Drug Administration, George Mason University, US Geological Survey . Chemicals, Environmental Health, Institute for Green Science, Carnegie Mellon University, American Chemistry Council, “, for Disease Control, Prevention, FDA, School of Nursing, Columbia University Medical Center Locations: New York City, “, Fairfax , Virginia, United States, United Kingdom, Greece, tampons, Pittsburgh

The brine contains lithium, a silvery white metal essential for making electric vehicle batteries and in high demand as the world shifts to green energy. Eramet is being closely watched by competitors from the U.S. to Chile that are also working to commercialize DLE. It aims to pump out its first ton of lithium carbonate in November and scale up to 24,000 metric tons a year by mid-2025. The technique allows Eramet to produce a ton of lithium carbonate in one week, versus a year with traditional methods. "You go step by step, making sure you can get to the next phase," said engineer Soledad Gamarra.

Persons: Eramet, Christel Bories, Joe Lowry, Soledad Gamarra, Mara Puntano, John Li, Tsingshan, Bories, Daina Beth Solomon, Salar Centenario, Ernest Scheyder, Lucila Sigal, Veronica Brown, Richard Chang Organizations: Reuters, Battery Metals, Initiative for, Mining Assurance, America, Thomson Locations: SALAR CENTENARIO, Argentina, Argentina's, U.S, Chile, Salta, Rio Tinto, South, Eramet's Centenario, Eramet's, Salt Lake City, U.S ., Utah, China, Asia, Salar, Houston

☆ A scene of humans hunting a pig painted in an Indonesian cave is oldest known narrative art
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-04 | by ( Katie Hunt | Lex Harvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The paintings are older than Europe’s famed cave art such as Lascaux in France, and, while younger than some geometric abstract art found in South Africa, it’s the oldest of a narrative scene, the authors of the study said. The cave art discoveries have challenged a longstanding belief that artistic expression — and the cognitive leap that fired up the human imagination — began in Europe. BRIN Google Arts & CultureEvolution of dating techniquesDating cave art is often difficult if the work is made with mineral pigments such as ocher or manganese rather than biological materials such as carbon. The study’s dating of the cave art is robust, but it’s “a leap of faith” to suggest that the figurative art was narrative in scope, said Paul Pettitt, a professor of archaeology at Durham University in the United Kingdom. It’s also unclear why so much cave art has been found in this region of Indonesia, Aubert said, but he and his team expected to find more.

Persons: “, ”, Maxime Aubert, ” , Adam Brumm, —, Renaud Joannes, Boyau, Joannes, Aubert —, Aubert, Nowell, wasn’t, it’s, Paul Pettitt, Dominic Julian, BRIN, Pettitt, It’s, sapiens Organizations: CNN, Griffith, for Social, Research, Australia’s Griffith University, BRIN Google Arts &, Southern Cross University, University of Victoria, Durham University, BRIN Google Locations: South Sulawesi, France, South Africa, Australia, Sulawesi, ”, Europe, Indonesia, archaeogeochemistry, Canada, United Kingdom, Africa

☆ South Africa has one of the world’s largest manganese reserves. So why does it outsource for processing?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Jackelyn Prager | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —On delivery day at the Manganese Metal Company’s industrial complex in Mbombela, South Africa, truckloads of manganese ore from the Kalahari Basin in the Northern Cape are ushered inside for processing. South Africa has the world’s largest manganese reserves; however, the International Manganese Institute estimates only 2% of the manganese ore produced within the country is locally processed. The Manganese Metal Company says it receives 80,000 tons of ore every year, with plans to build a $25 million commercial processing plant by the end of 2026. With an abundance of manganese reserves, South Africa has potential to become a leader in high purity manganese sulfate production, but d’Harambure says “issues with the electricity sector in South Africa” and “an increase in electricity prices” have made it difficult to produce manganese chemicals and alloys there. Green potentialThese obstacles are not stopping the Manganese Metal Company from trying to capitalize on the EV boom and expand its processing facilities.

Persons: Louis Nel, ” Nel, Aloys d’Harambure, Nel, ” d’Harambure, ”, d’Harambure, D’Harambure, It’s Organizations: CNN, International Manganese Institute, Metal, International Energy Agency, Metal Company, Employees, Manganese Locations: Mbombela, South Africa, Northern, EVs, China, Mexico, Australia, Europe, Africa

☆ GM to spend $19 billion through 2035 to source EV battery materials from LG Chem
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

DETROIT – General Motors plans to spend $19 billion over roughly the next decade to source critical materials for use in electric vehicle batteries from LG Chem, the companies said Wednesday. The long-term supply contract will see LG Chem supply GM with more than 500,000 tons of cathode materials – include nickel, cobalt, manganese, aluminum – from 2026 through 2035, the South Korean supplier said in a release. LG Chem said it aims to "bolster cooperation with GM in the North American market" through the deal. Jeff Morrison, GM vice president of global purchasing and supply chain, said the "contract builds on GM's commitment to create a strong, sustainable battery EV supply chain to support our fast-growing EV production needs." The contract is likely one of the largest, if not the largest, EV supply deals that GM has signed.

Persons: LG Chem, Jeff Morrison Organizations: DETROIT, Motors, LG Chem, South, LG, GM, EV Locations: Tennessee, North America

☆ Norway defends deep-sea mining, says it may help to break China and Russia's rare earths stronghold
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Ocean Rebellions protest The Deep Sea Says No Why the deep sea? (Photo by Charles M. Vella/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesNorway says its controversial decision to approve deep-sea mining is a necessary step into the unknown that could help to break China and Russia's rare earths dominance. "We have been looking into the seabed minerals opportunity for a long time. Campaigners fear that exploration and exploitation activities in the deep sea could permanently alter a home that is unique to known — and many as yet unknown — species. "The argument put forward by the Norwegian government — and the deep-sea mining industry — that 'deep-sea mining can be done in a sustainable way' goes against the large consensus of scientific literature," Roux said.

Persons: Luciana, Charles M, Anne, Sophie Roux, Terje Aasland, Aasland, Arild Hermstad, Camille Etienne, Lucas Bravo, Javad Parsa, Norway's Aasland, Roux, — Organizations: SOUTH, Getty, IEA, Energy, CNBC, Afp, European Commission, Ocean Alliance, Lightrocket Locations: ROTTERDAM, SOUTH HOLLAND, NETHERLANDS, Norway, China, Europe, Russia, Norwegian, Vietnam, Brazil, Svalbard, French, Oslo

☆ Alaska's once crystal-clear rivers now resemble dirty orange soda, puzzling researchers
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The melting permafrostEven before researchers knew about the orange waters, they realized northern Alaska was rapidly changing. The Arctic Inventory and Monitoring Network mapped locations of orange streams, and aerial photos show how easy they are to spot because of their brightness. When scientists went to the orange streams to count fish, insects, algae, and other aquatic life , "biodiversity just crashed," biologist Mike Carey told Scientific American . Advertisement"The fish were totally gone," Koch told BI. The streams Koch monitors near the Brooks Range are fairly remote, but the rivers they feed into provide fish for human communities in this region.

Persons: John McPhee, Joshua Koch, It's, —, Michael Carey, Koch, Carson Baughman, Kenneth Hill, Mike Carey Organizations: Service, US Geological Survey, Koch, Survey, Geological Survey, National Park Service, University of California, Davis , Alaska Pacific University, University of Alaska, Scientific, BI Locations: Salmon, Beaufort, Kobuk, , Alaska, Davis ,, Anchorage —, Alaska

☆ U.S. Political Support for Deep-Sea Mining Is Growing Despite Pushback From Allies
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Yusuf Khan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

Photo: The Metals CompanyU.S. political support for deep-sea mining has taken on a new urgency as Norway this week became the first country to legalize extraction of minerals from the ocean bottom despite strong opposition from western allies. On Tuesday, Norway became the first country in the world to approve deep-sea mining within its waters despite pushback from environmental groups and some nations. Despite the opposition, deep-sea mining in international waters could become legal this year. The International Seabed Authority—the United Nations-backed organization that regulates all mineral activities in international waters—has been drafting a mining code to govern the practice. “Promising to protect the oceans one day and proposing deep-sea mining the next, is next-level hypocrisy [for Norway],” said Amanda Louise Helle, Greenpeace Norway activist.

Persons: Sen, Lisa Murkowski, ”, Amanda Louise Helle, “, Yusuf Khan Organizations: Metals Company, Pentagon, Department of Defense, United Nations, ISA, U.S . Senate, United Nations Convention, Clarion, Greenpeace Locations: Norway, China, United States, France, Germany, Canada, U.S, isn’t, Alaska, Hawaii, Greenpeace Norway

☆ Norway poised to open vast ocean area to controversial deep-sea mining
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-09 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Activists take part at a "Look Down action" rally to stop deep sea mining outside the European Parliament in Brussels on March 6, 2023. In a parliamentary vote on Tuesday, lawmakers in the northern European country are expected to approve the government's proposal to open Norwegian waters for commercial-scale deep-sea mining. Critics say deep-sea mining is "extremely destructive," while scientists warn the full environmental impacts are hard to predict. Ocean Rebellions protest The Deep Sea Says No Why the deep sea? (Photo by Charles M. Vella/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images

Persons: Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD, KENZO TRIBOUILLARD, Kenzo Tribouillard, What's, Luciana, Charles M Organizations: Getty, Afp, Environmental Justice Foundation, European Commission, SOUTH Locations: Brussels, AFP, Norway, Svalbard, ROTTERDAM, SOUTH HOLLAND, NETHERLANDS

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Norway’s minority center-left government and two large opposition parties made a deal Tuesday to open the Arctic Ocean to seabed mineral exploration despite warnings by environmental groups that it would threaten the biodiversity of the vulnerable ecosystems in the area. Norway said in June it wanted to open parts of the Norwegian continental shelf for commercial deep sea mining in line with the country’s strategy to seek new economic opportunities and reduce its reliance on oil and gas. “This is a disaster for the sea,” said Frode Pleym, head of the local chapter of Greenpeace. According to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, there are sulphides and manganese crusts containing metals and minerals that are crucial for making batteries, wind turbines, PCs and mobile phones. The planned area is located southwest of the Arctic island of Svalbard.

Persons: —, ”, Frode Pleym, ” Martin Sveinssønn Melvær, –, Center Party –, NTB Organizations: Greenpeace, “, Norwegian Bellona, Labor, Center Party, Progress Party, Norwegian, Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, Ministry of Petroleum, Energy Locations: COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Norway, Norwegian, “ Norway, Hoeyre, Svalbard

☆ The White House unveils new rules to try and keep China out of the US EV market
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

It comes as the US aims to break China's stranglehold over the global electric battery supply chain. Key US automakers like Tesla and Ford are still using Chinese technology in their electric cars. AdvertisementChina is well and truly winning the EV race — and now the White House has unveiled new rules to try and keep Chinese companies out of the US electric car market. The new restrictions could be a headache for US auto manufacturers, which have traditionally relied on China for their battery technology . The American EV market, meanwhile, has stuttered in recent months , with legacy automakers slashing investment and cutting back targets.

Persons: —, Morgan Stanley, Elon Musk's Tesla Organizations: Ford, Service, White, American EV Locations: China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Michigan

That law, supported by Biden and congressional Democrats, created tax credits to boost domestic EV manufacturing. "The point is that they're manufacturing jobs, whether they be baskets or batteries." A Trump spokesperson pointed Reuters to a recent policy announcement in which the former president said EV manufacturing would harm workers. Biden's campaign pointed Reuters to a statement from Kevin Munoz, a campaign spokesman, who said Trump's plan would mean more Chinese EV manufacturing jobs and fewer American jobs. Still, Ciscomani, who did not respond to comment requests, has generally welcomed individual EV projects, and toured a local EV plant in August.

Persons: Rebecca Cook, Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Joe Biden, Biden, Trump, Mike Morey, SKDK, Andrew Reagan, Kirsten Engel, EVs, Jesse Williams, Joe, Anna Kelly, DeSantis, Kevin Munoz, Munoz, Brian Kemp, Wendy Davis, Engel, Juan Ciscomani, Ciscomani, Gram Slattery, Nichola Groom, Jarrett Renshaw, Alistair Bell Organizations: General Motors, Bolt, Orion Assembly, REUTERS, Rights, Florida, Democratic, Republican, EV, Power, Reuters, Democrats, Energy, America, Environmental Defense Fund, Biden, RMI, Republican Party, Trump, United Auto Workers, UAW, Republican National Committee, United States, Climate Power, League of Conservation Voters, Thomson Locations: Lake Orion , Michigan, U.S, Georgia , Arizona , Nevada, Michigan, Wisconsin , Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Michigan , Georgia, Arizona, America, North America, Decatur County , Georgia, China, South, United, Georgia, Rome , Georgia, Washington, Los Angeles

DETROIT (AP) — Ford Motor Co. is resuming construction on a Michigan electric vehicle battery plant that the company postponed two months ago during a strike by the United Auto Workers union. But the automaker says that due to slowing electric vehicle sales growth, it will scale back the factory size, cutting the number of planned jobs by about one third from 2,500 to 1,700. Ford put the plant, originally to cost $3.5b, on hold in late September as the union went on strike at targeted assembly plants run by Ford, General Motors and Jeep maker Stellantis. Unlike the company's other battery plants that are joint ventures, the Marshall factory will be a fully owned Ford subsidiary staffed by Ford workers. But China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd., or CATL, which is known for its lithium-iron-phosphate expertise, would supply technology, some equipment and workers.

Persons: —, Ford, Mark Truby, ”, Marshall Organizations: DETROIT, — Ford Motor Co, United Auto Workers, Ford, General Motors, EV, Amperex Technology, . Ltd Locations: Michigan, Marshall, Detroit

☆ Mucus-Covered Jellyfish Hint at Dangers of Deep-Sea Mining
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Deep-sea mining companies have set their sights on these minerals, aiming to use them in batteries and electronics. Environmentalists warn that the mining process and the plumes of sediment it would dump back into the sea could affect marine life. A series of shipboard experiments on jellyfish in the Norwegian fjords, published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications, offer insights into those warnings. The scientists approximated the effects of mining by pumping sediment into the jellies’ tanks, essentially asking how the animals would cope with the muddy water. The researchers selected helmet jellyfish as their research subjects because of the ubiquity and hardiness of the dinner-plate-size creatures.

Persons: ”, Helena Hauss Organizations: Nature Communications, Norwegian Research Center, Helmholtz, Ocean Research Locations: Norwegian, Ocean Research Kiel, Germany

☆ The promise and risks of deep-sea mining
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +13 min

The promise and risks of deep-sea mining A vast treasure of critical minerals lies on the ocean floor. All of these factors make deep-sea mining more appealing, supporters say. Environmentalists, however, say it’s a false dichotomy, as land mining will continue whether or not deep-sea mining is allowed. Any country can allow deep-sea mining in its territorial waters, and Norway, Japan and the Cook Islands are close to allowing it. For now, the ISA's members are hotly debating the best standards for deep-sea mining.

Persons: Gerard Barron, Margo Deiye, “ We’re, ”, Barron, “, Beth Orcutt, Jason Gillham, Joe Carr, Pradeep Singh, Kira Mizell, Julia Wolfe, Katy Daigle, Claudia Parsons Organizations: International Energy Agency, P Global, Authority, United Nations, ISA, Metals Co, Russia's JSC, Blue Minerals, Exploration, Metals, Clarion, Companies, U.S . Geological Survey, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, The Metals Co, Northwest, Maine's Bigelow Laboratory, Ocean Sciences, Impossible Metals, NOAA, Research, Aquarium Research, Bigelow Laboratory, Research Institute, Sustainability, . Geological Survey Locations: Brazil, Norway, Japan, Cook, Vancouver, Blue, Blue Minerals Jamaica, China, Hawaii, Mexico, Nauru, U.S, Russia, France, India, Poland, Tokyo, Monterey

"These investments are being made in areas with very high growth," Christel Bories, Eramet's chair and CEO, told Reuters. "Lithium is not tied to world economic growth, it's tied to the development of batteries and the energy transition." A $400 million deal with Glencore (GLEN.L) to market lithium from the project's first stage will mostly cover Eramet's financing needs for the next tranche, Bories said. In Chile, meanwhile, the group said it had acquired for an initial $95 million a 120,000-hectare lithium concession in the Atacama region. Reporting by Gus Trompiz, Editing by Charlotte Van Campenhout and Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ivan Alvarado, it's, Bories, Eramet's, Gus Trompiz, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Louise Heavens Organizations: National Reserve, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Centenario, BASF, Koniambo, SAS, Thomson Locations: Antofagasta region, Chile, Argentina, Indonesia, Centenario, Atacama, Gabon, China, New Caledonia, SLN

☆ EU Aims to Resolve U.S. Steel Dispute by Year End
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission is aiming to reach an agreement on steel and aluminium with the United States by the end of the year to bring a definitive end to U.S. import tariffs on the metals, Commission Vice President Vera Jourova said on Thursday. U.S. and EU negotiators failed to reach an agreement at a summit on Oct. 20 on measures to address overcapacity in non-market economies, such as China, and promote greener steel. The Biden administration had suspended the tariffs on EU steel and aluminium imposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump in 2018 on condition that a deal was reached by the end of October. Many lawmakers expressed concern that the talks had dragged on without success, but Jourova said the two sides had made "important progress". Jourova said the EU wanted to get an agreement "over the finishing line", but gave no envisaged deadline.

Persons: Vera Jourova, Biden, Donald Trump, Jourova, Philip Blenkinsop, Bernadette Baum Organizations: European, EU, U.S, United Locations: BRUSSELS, United States, China

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