Algae and mining: A new frontier in sustainable site rehabilitation

Algae might seem an unlikely candidate to help transform Australia’s post-mining landscapes, but a new CSIRO -led project suggests these tiny aquatic organisms could provide sustainable futures for mine sites, surrounding ecosystems, and local communities. Looking down the microscope at the microalgae Nannochloropsis Australia’s mining sector is approaching a crossroads—where economic legacy and environmental responsibility must find common ground. A new CSIRO -led study, supported by the Cooperative Research Centre for Transformations in Mining Economies (CRC TiME), suggests that one of the most promising bridges between these imperatives may come from an unexpected source: algae. Though small in stature, algae are emerging as giants in their potential to transform post-mining landscapes. The study, developed in partnership with the University of Queensland and Murdoch University , proposes that algae-based technologies could reduce mining’s environmental footprint while seeding new...

China leases North Korean east coast port

The Peoples Republic of China has acquired a 10-year lease of Rajin port on the east coast of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, potentially increasing shipping access to the Sea of Japan, the governor of the Yanbian prefecture in Jilin province, which borders North Korea, told China News Service.

Li Longxi said the lease would help the province ship coal to southern China and Japan, easing transport bottlenecks.

Rajin is the largest port in Rason, also known as Rajin-Songbong, which North Korea designated as a free trade zone in 1991, and has access to rail lines to Russia and China. The lease would give Chinese shippers access to the Sea of Japan, a goal that motivated a project to develop the mouth of the Tumen River into a free trade zone operated jointly by China, Russia and North Korea, still mired in the planning stages.