President Trump signed an order Thursday aimed at making it easier for companies to mine the ocean floor. Scientists and environmental groups say it could harm a fragile ecosystem.
Countries have debated for decades whether to allow mining on the ocean floor, a potential trove of critical minerals. Now, a Canadian startup says it will move ahead, whether or not rules are in place.
In recent weeks, you've likely heard a lot about rare-earth substances with hard-to-pronounce names, but experts warn that the shortage of another crucial metal, copper, could be just as concerning.
In South Africa a months long stand-off between police and illegal miners in an abandoned gold mine comes to end, with close to 80 found dead in grim recovery operation.
The mine has been the scene of a tense standoff between police and miners since authorities launched an operation to force the miners out by cutting off food and water from the surface.
War has changed Ukraine's workforce, especially in heavy industry and mining. With men conscripted to fight the war against Russia, women have started working in traditionally male jobs.
As President-elect Trump promises to eliminate government agencies and regulations, one American industry — mining — is asking for more intervention. They say national economic and military security are at stake.
Kolwezi has some of the world's largest copper and cobalt reserves and that makes it a key location at the heart of the U.S. and China's jostle for mineral supremacy on the African continent.
Miners are believed to be suffering from a lack of food, water and other basic necessities after police closed off the entrances used to transport supplies.
A proposed lithium mine in Serbia is spurring protests over its potential impact on the environment. The mineral is in high demand because it’s crucial for the batteries that run electric vehicles.
A company's plan to mine near the edge of the Okefenokee Swamp is nearing approval by Georgia regulators, despite conservationists' concerns that it could irreparably damage the swamp and its vast wildlife refuge. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division on Friday released drafts of three permits that would allow Alabama-based Twin Pines Minerals to mine outside the swamp.
As the U.S. plans new mines for copper, lithium and other metals to use in green technologies, mining projects in the West could threaten scarce water supplies.
Gold prices are soaring. Cue the gold rush, and with it, more challenges for Brazil and efforts to protect the world's largest tropical forest, write Robert Muggah and Mac Margolis.
NPR ventures into a Colombian emerald mine — which used to be more dangerous, with potential explosions inside and gunfights outside. The CEO, a former U.S. diplomat, says he wanted to change that.
