Global demand for lithium is expected to triple in six years. But mining companies are increasingly coming into conflict with indigenous communities who are worried about the future of their ecosystems.
In a few years meat grown in laboratories from animal cells may become part of our regular diet, a prospect that raises complex technical, social, and ethical questions.
We are on the cusp of the biggest economic transformation, of any kind, for 200 years. Before long, most of our food will come neither from animals nor plants, but from ferming: brewing microbes through precision fermentation.
An umbrella term, power-to-X covers various processes that turn electricity into heat, hydrogen, or synthetic fuels, meaning that ever more of our energy system might say goodbye to coal, oil, and natural gas.
One way or another, our diet is going to be transformed. In 2004, the Guardian correctly predicted that the developed world’s overreliance on meat would be one of the most pressing issues for the survival of our species.
