Earth Wise

We are all familiar with the grout that is used for tiles in our homes. We are less familiar with grout that is used to stabilize the soil beneath buildings.  Grouting is a process of ground improvement by injecting materials that can fill voids and cracks, strengthen and increase the bearing capacity of soil, and […]

Lithium-ion batteries are used to power computers and cellphones and, increasingly, vehicles.  The batteries contain lithium as well as various other valuable metals such as nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese.  Like other batteries, lithium-ion batteries have a finite lifetime before they can no longer perform their intended function. Recycling lithium-ion batteries to recover their critical […]

Solar and wind farms are spreading rapidly around the world.  Many economists believe that solar power has crossed the threshold where it is generally cheaper than other ways to make electricity and will become the dominant energy source in the next couple of decades.  As a result, both solar and wind farms are gobbling up […]

Vacationers love beaches with shallow water.  They are great for families with small kids and for less confident swimmers.  Such beaches often attract intense coastal development.  However, they are also fragile habitats that are disappearing around the world. A new study led by the University of South Florida highlights the need to protect these marine […]

Many experts say that combating global warming will require both drastically reducing the use of fossil fuels and permanently removing billions of tons of CO2 already in the atmosphere.  Developing practical, large-scale technologies for carbon removal is a significant challenge. There is a nearly inexhaustible supply of minerals that are capable of removing carbon dioxide […]

Life is a struggle for survival from the moment a sea turtle hatches.  In fact, only one sea turtle out of every 1,000 typically reaches adulthood as a result of natural predators and other challenges.  Those fortunate enough to make it to adulthood face serious threats from humans. For example, sea turtles are hunted for […]

Refrigeration is based on heat transfer mediums that absorb heat from the area being cooled and transfer it to the outside environment. The earliest refrigerants were dangerous substances like ammonia.  In the 1930s, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) like Freon became the standard refrigerant for use in refrigeration systems and even in aerosol cans.  When these substances were […]

According to a recent forecast from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, solar panels and batteries will account for more than 80% of new power capacity installed in the U.S. this year.  The record growth of these technologies is hastening the decline of coal power in this country. Solar power alone will account for more than […]

Microplastics are tiny plastic particles, less than 5 millimeters in size, that come from the breakdown of larger plastics, synthetic fibers, microbeads, and tire wear.  Microplastics are found in oceans, rivers, soil, and even the air we breathe. These particles can take hundreds of years to degrade, spreading across ecosystems and accumulating in unexpected places, […]

Sand mining is the world’s largest mining endeavor.  It is responsible for 85% of all mineral extraction.  It is also the least regulated, possibly the most corrupt, and likely the most environmentally destructive.  Sand is the second-most exploited natural resource in the world after water.  Its global use has tripled in the past two decades.  […]