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UAF Researchers Secure $6 Million NSF Grant to Extract Critical Minerals from Coal Waste

UAF Researchers Secure $6 Million NSF Grant to Extract Critical Minerals from Coal Waste

Researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) are leading a $6 million project funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to extract critical minerals from coal waste. This initiative involves using microorganisms and artificial intelligence to recover rare earth elements from coal ash, a byproduct of decades of coal mining and use in Alaska. The project aims to transform this waste into a valuable resource, reducing reliance on foreign sources for these essential minerals. Srijan Aggarwal, a UAF professor of environmental engineering and principal investigator, highlighted that the approach leverages natural metabolic processes of microorganisms to bind to and extract valuable minerals, avoiding harsh chemicals. Artificial intelligence will be used to predict optimal waste materials and harvesting conditions. The project is a collaborative effort involving UAF, the University of Alaska Anchorage, Montana Technological University, and the University of Wyoming, funded through NSF’s Establish...
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Teck Resources Positioned to Capitalize on Elevated Copper Prices Amidst Global Demand

Teck Resources Positioned to Capitalize on Elevated Copper Prices Amidst Global Demand

Teck Resources Positioned to Capitalize on Elevated Copper Prices Amidst Global Demand
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Connecticut Faces Waste Management Crisis, Proposed Incinerator Draws Criticism

Connecticut Faces Waste Management Crisis, Proposed Incinerator Draws Criticism

Connecticut is grappling with a significant waste management crisis, generating more household trash than it can dispose of within its borders. The problem intensified with the 2022 closure of the Hartford MIRA waste-to-energy facility, which previously processed approximately 15% of the state's municipal solid waste (MSW). In 2024, the state produced nearly 2.3 million tons of MSW, with 41% being shipped to out-of-state landfills. This situation has led to skyrocketing municipal tipping fees and property taxes, with Hamden's tipping fee budget nearly doubling from $1.1 million in 2019 to $2.15 million in 2022. A proposed gasification plant by SMART Technology, LLC in Plainfield, intended to replace the MIRA incinerator, has been met with public opposition and its application was withdrawn, though the company intends to resubmit. Critics argue that this gasification technology is unproven for household waste on a commercial scale in the U.S. and has a history of failures in Europe.
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U.S. Department of Energy Invests $100 Million in PROSPECT Program to Rebuild Critical Minerals Workforce

U.S. Department of Energy Invests $100 Million in PROSPECT Program to Rebuild Critical Minerals Workforce

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has allocated $100 million to the PROSPECT program, an initiative designed to revitalize the critical minerals workforce. This investment aims to address a significant shortage of skilled professionals in the mining and critical minerals sectors. The program will support scholarships, new educational courses, and funding across universities and community colleges. The DOE estimates that the U.S. will require over 6,000 new mining engineers in the next decade, while current accredited programs graduate only about 170 annually. This funding is part of a broader effort by the U.S. government to strengthen domestic critical mineral supply chains, which also includes hundreds of millions of dollars invested in critical mineral processing, recycling, and separation projects.
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Hertha Metals Initiates Construction of First U.S. Commercial High-Purity Iron Plant in Texas

Hertha Metals Initiates Construction of First U.S. Commercial High-Purity Iron Plant in Texas

Hertha Metals Initiates Construction of First U.S. Commercial High-Purity Iron Plant in Texas
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Manufacturers Face February 2027 Deadline for Digital Product Passports, Requiring Data Integration and Supplier Collaboration

Manufacturers Face February 2027 Deadline for Digital Product Passports, Requiring Data Integration and Supplier Collaboration

Manufacturers Face February 2027 Deadline for Digital Product Passports, Requiring Data Integration and Supplier Collaboration
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Food Scrap Pickup Services Emerge Across U.S. Cities to Combat Landfill Methane and Enhance Soil Health

Food Scrap Pickup Services Emerge Across U.S. Cities to Combat Landfill Methane and Enhance Soil Health

Across the United States, a growing number of food waste collection services, such as Scrap Soils in Detroit, are emerging to divert food scraps from landfills and make composting more accessible. These services cater to individuals and businesses that cannot compost at home, lack municipal curbside pickup, or cannot access drop-off locations. Ricky Blanding, CEO of Scrap Soils, collects food scraps like coffee grounds, eggshells, and carrot tops from homes and restaurants, transporting them to composting sites. This initiative is part of a broader movement to reduce the amount of food waste in landfills, where it produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Detroit's climate strategy aims to reduce municipal greenhouse gas emissions by 100% by 2050, with a three-year plan to divert 15% of waste from landfills. The city has also launched its first municipal food scrap drop-off initiative, with Scrap Soils partnering in educational campaigns.
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U.S. Fashion Industry Embraces Circular Economy Models for Sustainability

U.S. Fashion Industry Embraces Circular Economy Models for Sustainability

U.S. Fashion Industry Embraces Circular Economy Models for Sustainability
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Plastic Pollution Coalition Unites Organizations to Combat Plastic Waste and Its Toxic Impacts

Plastic Pollution Coalition Unites Organizations to Combat Plastic Waste and Its Toxic Impacts

The Plastic Pollution Coalition, established in 2009, serves as an alliance of organizations, businesses, and individuals dedicated to eradicating plastic pollution and its detrimental effects. This coalition is one of many entities actively engaged in addressing the global plastic crisis. Other notable organizations include the Plastic Soup Foundation, an Amsterdam-based advocacy group focusing on microplastics, human health, and education, and Precious Plastic, which provides open-source plans for recycling equipment to enable local plastic recycling. Algalita Marine Research and Education, founded by Captain Charles Moore, who brought the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to public attention, now concentrates on youth education. Clean Up Australia organizes annual community clean-up events, while EarthX hosts one of the world's largest Earth Day gatherings. The Ocean Recovery Alliance develops tools for cities and businesses to measure and reduce plastic leakage, and One Earth One Ocean builds waste-collectin...
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National Science Foundation Awards $4.5 Million Grant for Extreme Laser Research

National Science Foundation Awards $4.5 Million Grant for Extreme Laser Research

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $4.5 million grant to a collaborative project called Diagnostics for Extreme Light (DELIGHT). This funding will support continued research by scientists from six universities across the country, including the University of Nevada, Reno. The DELIGHT project focuses not on building lasers, but on measuring the light, particles, and matter generated by some of the world's most powerful lasers. Researchers recently spent four weeks at the University of Michigan, studying the country's highest-intensity laser. Tom White, Physics Department Chair at UNR, described these lasers as capable of generating conditions found at the center of planets, likening them to a billion billion laser pointers focused on one spot for a billionth of a second.
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National Science Foundation Seeks IT Program Managers for Office of the Chief Information Officer

National Science Foundation Seeks IT Program Managers for Office of the Chief Information Officer

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is actively recruiting for multiple IT Program Manager positions within its Office of the Chief Information Officer. These roles, classified as GS-2210-14 MP, are open across various disciplines including IT Development and Analysis, IT Strategy and Planning, and IT Operations and Security. The job opportunity announcement indicates that positions filled through this initiative may include supervisory duties of less than 25% and could have a higher position risk level designation. Successful candidates will be required to report to the NSF Headquarters building located in Alexandria, Virginia. The NSF is seeking qualified individuals to manage and oversee critical IT programs that support the agency's mission.
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Study Reveals Environmental Trade-offs in U.S. Animal Agriculture Exports to China

Study Reveals Environmental Trade-offs in U.S. Animal Agriculture Exports to China

Study Reveals Environmental Trade-offs in U.S. Animal Agriculture Exports to China