Photo: Ludmilla Ostermann

Staying grounded

Can we have a future without mining? No, we still need ‘fresh’ sand, copper or lithium, also for the energy transition. But any extraction of raw materi-als has consequences, not only for the environment. It also affects the people who work in the mines or live in the surrounding areas. That is why as many natural resources as possible must remain in the ground. For the “fresh” raw materials that we really need, new methods are being developed to extract them as sustainably and fairly as possible. But it is already difficult to make rules for mining the ground and keep to them. What will it be like when people want to start large-scale extraction in the deep sea or in space?

Photo: Ludmilla Ostermann

In search of manganese nodules

Into the deep sea with the sun

Manganese nodules, small anthracite-coloured lumps at depths of up to 6000 metres, contain valuable elements such as manganese, copper, cobalt, iron and rare earths. The possibility of mining them...

At sea and inside the laboratory with scientist Gunnar Gerdts

Tracking down microplastic

Our oceans are not only home to large pieces of plastic, but also minute plastic particles. Today researchers know that this microplastic can be found in all regions, and even in arctic sea ice....

Marine trash vortexes

Garbage Patches

In huge, rotating ocean currents known as gyres, plastic waste has compacted into so-called garbage patches that cause massive damage to the environment. How do these patches emerge and where are...