Researchers from the Camborne School of Mines have identified methods to predict the environmental and social cost of resourcing new deposits of rare earth minerals used in the production of mobile phones, wind turbines and electric vehicles.
The team are pioneering techniques to develop the equivalent of a ‘Fairtrade’ model for ethically and sustainably resourcing raw materials that are crucial in the manufacturing of next generation technologies.
In the research the team highlight the pivotal role that geoscientists can play in developing 'life cycle assessment techniques" for potential new deposits of rare earth elements, to meet the growing worldwide demand.
The research is published in the journal, Elements.
Robert Pell, PhD student at the Camborne School of Mines, based at the University of Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall, and co-author on the paper said, 'It is important that we understand the environmental costs of generating these rare earths so that we can select the right projects to support, but also research and improve the areas of production with a greater environmental cost. This is especially important when you consider the demand growth of rare earths, and their importance in the proliferation of green technology.“
Jacobs University’s Wally, a deep-sea exploration robot named for its similarity to Pixar’s Wall-E
University of Exeter marine biologist and Greenpeace senior scientist, Dr David Santillo, states that deep sea mining could have ‘long-lasting and unforeseen consequences’ as the industry gears up for its first major venture in 2019.
Nautilus Minerals will begin copper extraction from a leased offshore site in Papua New Guinea with the Solwara-1 Project. Despite the project’s continual delays – first intended to begin in 2013, again in 2017 and now with a prospective start in Q1 2019, Santillo believes not enough information about the impact of deep sea mining has been collected.
‘Our knowledge of these ecosystems is still limited. But we know they’re very sensitive. Recovery from man-made disturbance could take decades, centuries or even millennia, if these ecosystems recovery at all.
‘As we learn more about deep sea ecosystems and the role of oceans in mitigating climate change, it seems wise to take precautions to avoid damage that could have long-lasting and unforeseen consequences.’
