Calaminarian grasslands, rare habitats adapted to heavy metal contamination from centuries of lead mining in Northumberland, face decline as water quality improves, threatening these unique 'metallophyte' plant communities.
A UN report has found that critical minerals extraction for batteries and microchips is causing severe environmental damage and public health crises in Africa and Latin America. Researchers found 456bn litres of water were used to extract 240,000 tonnes of lithium in 2024, while 700m tonnes of waste were generated by global rare-earth production. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, 64% of people lack basic water access and 72% near mining sites report skin diseases. The lithium triangle in Latin America is also suffering as Indigenous communities face water scarcity. The report warns production must increase ninefold by 2040, calling for mandatory international due-diligence standards.
