According to the World Bank, the production of critical minerals essential for renewable energy technologies, such as solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles, is poised to increase by up to 500% by 2050.
Nearly 17% of the world’s croplands are contaminated with “heavy metals”, according to a new study in Science. These contaminants – arsenic, cadmium, lead, and others – may be invisible to the eye, but they threaten food safety and human health.