China has Developed a New Method to Extract Uranium from Seawater Cheaper and More Efficiently

New Scientist reported that China has developed a new way to extract uranium from seawater efficiently and more economically, possibly paving the way for a large-scale industrialization of uranium extraction.

China has developed a new method for uranium extraction

China Leads the World in Nuclear Power Plant Expansion

According to New Scientist, China is leading the world in building new nuclear power plants, which will only be aided as they have developed a new method for efficient extraction of uranium from seawater. New Scientist reported that "half of the nuclear reactor projects currently under construction are in China," with their installed nuclear capacity to surpass both the US and European Union by 2030.

China has developed this as New Scientist reports that "the world's oceans hold an estimated 4.5 billion tonnes of uranium, which is more than 1000 times the amount that is available through mining."

China Develops New Method for Trapping Uranium with Electric Fields

Previous experiments have harvested uranium from seawater using artificial sponges made of a polymer material. Then there was a method that trapped uranium using an electric field.

According to New Scientist, researcher Shuangyin Wang at Hunan University along with colleagues have developed a new electrochemical method that is both cheaper and more efficient to extract uranium from seawater.

When they tested the method, they were able to extract 100% of the uranium from East China Sea and 85% of the uranium from the South China Sea. 

The Cost Savings of New Uranium Extraction Method

They did this by running 1 liter of seawater through the system using two copper electrodes - one positive and one negative, and both collect uranium. This highly efficient method allows both electrodes to gather uranium with incredible cost savings.

Previous electrochemical methods cost $360 per kilogram of uranium extracted, while this new method claims that it cost $83 per kilogram of uranium extracted.

New Mexico is Trying to Stop the US Government from Gunning Down Over 100 Feral Cows & 'Leaving Their Carcasses to Rot in the Wilderness'

New Mexico governor Michelle Grisham is disappointed with the U.S. Forest Service over their aerial shooting operation to shoot and kill up to 150 feral cows from a helicopter in the Gila Wilderness. Many in the agriculture community in southwestern New Mexico are against this operation.

CBS News reported that the U.S. Forest Service approved the plan on Thursday, 23 February 2023 to fly a helicopter through the Gila Wilderness and shoot feral cows. The area in question is known as the "nation's first designated wilderness area."

Does this make it okay to just kill the cows in the wilderness and let their meat go to waste, when it could better serve people that need food for their families?

Sounds like a waste.

This is all because environmental groups are claiming that the feral cattle is damaging streams and rivers with their mouths and hooves.

Seriously?

This is not a joke.

According to CBS KRQE-TV reporting, in 2022 "31 New Mexico lawmakers sent a letter to the U.S. Forest Service urging authorities to reconsider the plan." Some ranchers even argue that some of their stray cattle might even be mixed in with the feral cows, and the plan to "shoot stray cattle by helicopter" is a big mistake.

Senator Crystal Diamond says that there are hunger issues in New Mexico that could be addressed, but shooting these feral cows in the wilderness is a waste.

She said:

“You know, I am in the middle of a legislative session in which we are seriously trying to address hunger issues in New Mexico and I can think the options of what we can do there are endless. it’s kind of a horrific response in how to handle stray cattle in the forest.” (Source: CBS KRQE-TV News)

Ranchers: U.S. Forest Service to Gun Down Feral Cows and 'Letting Their Carcasses Rot in the Wilderness'

Fortune reported that "ranchers argue that the operation amounts to animal cruelty and that the cows could have been rounded up and removed instead of letting their carcasses rot in the wilderness."

A federal judge denied the request from ranchers to delay the aerial extermination operation by the U.S. Forest Service on Wednesday, 22 February 2023.

Photo by Zara Walker

Reasons Why U.S. Forest Service Should Not Kill Feral Cows Without Careful Assessment

There are several reasons why feral cows should not be killed without careful consideration and assessment of the situation. Here are some of the key reasons:

1. Animal welfare: Feral cows, like all animals, have the capacity to feel pain and suffer. Killing them without justifiable cause could result in unnecessary harm and distress. If culling is deemed necessary, it should be done in a humane and ethical way that minimizes suffering.

2. Environmental impact: Feral cows can have both positive and negative impacts on the environment. They can help to maintain open landscapes and reduce the risk of wildfires, but they can also damage ecosystems and compete with native wildlife for resources. Killing feral cows may have unintended consequences for the ecosystem and may not be the best solution in the long run.

3. Public safety: Feral cows can pose a risk to public safety, particularly if they are in areas where people live or work. However, killing them may not always be the most effective way to manage this risk. There may be other measures that can be taken to mitigate the danger, such as fencing or relocation.

Overall, the decision by the U.S. Forest Service to shoot and kill feral cows in an aerial shooting operation should be based on a careful assessment of the situation and consideration of all the relevant factors, including animal welfare, environmental impact, and public safety. In many cases, there may be more effective and humane ways to manage the situation.

Do you think that the feral cows in New Mexico should be rounded up and relocated so the meat doesn't go to waste?

Are you fine with shooting cows by helicopter and letting their carcasses rot in the New Mexico wilderness?

(Share your thoughts in the comments section)

The Best and Worst New Television Show of 2014, The Flash (CW) and Stalker (CBS)

The Flash on The CW is the best new show of 2014

The Flash on the CW is the Best New TV Show of 2014

The best new TV show of 2014 is The Flash on the CW.  Actor Grant Gustin plays Barry Allen, a super smart 20 something who is a CSI detective on the police force.  He is zapped into a coma the night that the particle accelerator exploded, sending a massive shockwave through Central City.  As a result, rather ordinary people gained superpowers, depending on their circumstances when they were hit by the shockwave.  In the show, these people with superhuman powers are called "meta humans." Barry Allen is just learning how to control his powers, and faces new challenges when meta humans go rogue, using their superpowers for evil.  Throughout the first season, Barry Allen must face the fact that his secret love - Iris West - must never know that he is the Flash, because it could put her life in danger.

The Flash is a spectacular show on the CW, and is a perfect fit with The Arrow already in its weekday lineup. This is why Z. Love's Entertainment Blog has picked The Flash as the best new television show of 2014.


Watch the trailer below:

Stalker on CBS is the Worst New Television Show of 2014

The worst new TV show of 2014 was Stalker on CBS.  Many different television critics voted Stalker as the worst new TV show of 2014, on CBS.

Some critics say that it is simply isn't cool to glorify stalking women in a television show.  It is just plain creepy.

This show stars Dylan McDermott as the lead detective, along with Maggie Q.  But, critics say the script is "bland and boring," or just "uninteresting." They have gone as far as saying Stalker is just a "trashy" version of CSI, and that it was just a plain failure for CBS.

They were trying to compete with Fox's cult show, The Following, but Stalker never gained solid ground.  That is why it is the worst new television show of 2014.

Stalker on CBS is the worst new show of 2014