All articles by Ashima Sharma
Ashima Sharma
Soaking up, breaking down: what sponges and microbes make of mine waste
New research offers solutions for extracting critical metals while practicing sustainability. Ashima Sharma looks into two technologies that allow extraction of critical metals using microbes and nanoparticle sponges.
Rio Tinto writes off $1.7bn of aluminium refineries, citing costs of Australia’s carbon emissions reduction scheme
The company reported its lowest first-half earnings in three years and admitted it may miss its decarbonisation target for 2025.
Australia blocks the takeover of lithium miner by company linked to China
This is the second time Australia has blocked Chinese investment into the country.
Indian banks wary of financing coal projects
India is in parallel pushing schemes and policies to boost investment in the renewable energy sector, raising questions about the long-term viability of coal.
India plans to build a $1.4bn water transport corridor
The water corridor will connect two ports in the state of Odisha and could carry 12–15 million tonnes of cargo by 2030.
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The many avatars of mining: solving the development versus conservation dilemma
From Australia to Brazil, the mining sector gives rise to long conflicts with indigenous groups across the globe. Ashima Sharma reports how the efforts to codify inclusive and mutually acceptable negotiations can be reached.
Australia’s Idemitsu coal mine escapes prosecution despite water permit breach
The company drained 1,052 megalitres of water, equivalent to 500 Olympic pools, between 2019 and 2022, the regulatory body estimated.
How can sensor-based ore sorting turn waste into wealth?
Sensor-based sorting of low-grade ores aims to improve the efficiency and sustainability of natural resource use. Ashima Sharma reports.
South32 to pay $2.9m for diverting drinking water to coal mine without licence for five years
The company drained five megalitres of drinking water from the catchment area every day between 2018 and 2023.
European companies caught in US-China trade crossfire over chipmaking materials
European leaders have expressed growing frustration over Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, fearing European companies will shift their investments to the US.