We don’t need deep-sea mining

The rise of renewable energy technologies is driving new demand for lithium, cobalt and other so-called “critical minerals.” Mining the ocean floor for these minerals, as some companies are proposing, would devastate deep-sea wildlife and ecosystems – and, as we show in our report “We Don’t Need Deep-Sea Mining,” it’s not even necessary. Effective recycling and extending the lifetimes of electronic products are among the tools that can reduce the need for all forms of mineral extraction. The report received coverage in Wired and the Los Angeles Times. On the Frontier Group website, intern Caroline Crowley provided an overview of the risks of deep-sea mining and how we can avoid having to do it at all, and we looked at how a groundbreaking new discovery underscores the urgency of avoiding this harmful and unnecessary practice.

Plastic bag bans work

Bans on single-use plastic grocery bags in just a small set of cities and states are eliminating the use of around six billion bags each year, according to our new report with Environment America Research & Policy Center and U.S. PIRG Education Fund, “Plastic Bag Bans Work.” While well-designed bag bans are keeping plastic litter out of green spaces and waterways, the report highlighted loopholes that are limiting the effectiveness of some policies. The report has been covered by more than 200 media outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, Fox News and The Hill. Plus, check out our online calculator to estimate the potential impact of a bag ban in your area.

A bad deal for college students

College is expensive – and the high cost of course materials is an added financial burden on students. To make matters worse, many students are being automatically charged for textbooks and other materials on their tuition bills unless they specifically opt out. Our report on automatic textbook billing reviewed contracts between schools, bookstores and publishers and found that this system keeps students locked into an uncompetitive textbook market and limits the spread of free open educational resources. We also found little evidence that promised cost savings for students have materialized.

Other highlights

On the Frontier Group website, Senior Policy Analyst Elizabeth Ridlington wrote about her family’s struggles with the expensive and confusing world of college textbooks. In conservation news, intern Jonah Vu explained how monoculture farming practices are contributing to the collapse of bee populations, and we looked at the rise of ‘rewilding’ and some of the successes achieved by letting nature take the lead (with a special shout-out to nature’s leading engineer: the beaver). We assessed the environmental damage caused by overuse of concrete and other impervious materials in our cities and looked at the growing movement to get rid of them where they’re not needed. And summer intern Hailey Seo explored how nature-based infrastructure can help keep our kids cool in a warming world.