Are the Cocos (Keeling) Islands littered with rubbish?

A study published by the University of WA last year found the Cocos (Keeling) Islands were among the most heavily affected by beached waste in the Indian Ocean. Studies have estimated the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are littered with hundreds of tonnes of rubbish. (Supplied: Silke Stuckenbrock)

Does the Australian government support the Shire of Cocos (Keeling) Islands?

A spokesperson for the Department of Infrastructure said the Australian government provides the Shire of Cocos (Keeling) Islands with a significant level of funding to meet its local government obligations, including waste management.

How much does a rubbish bin collection cost in Cocos (Keeling) Islands?

Earlier this year, the Shire of Cocos (Keeling) Islands increased the residents' rubbish bin collection fee by 55 per cent while government agencies received a 1,200 per cent rise. The annual cost of a bin collection on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands is now $580 for residents and almost $5,000 for public agencies.

Can a lithium ion battery evaporate water?

To date such efforts have not proved economical. Choi and other researchers have also tried to use lithium-ion battery electrodes to pull lithium directly from seawater and brines without the need for first evaporating the water. Those electrodes consist of sandwichlike layered materials designed to trap and hold lithium ions as a battery charges.

Can battery electrodes be used to harvest lithium?

"That doubles the selectivity, at least," compared with previous attempts to use battery electrodes to harvest lithium, says Chong Liu, a materials scientist at the University of Chicago who previously was a postdoctoral scientist in Cui's laboratory.

Could lithium be tapped out of seawater?

Booming electric vehicle sales have spurred a growing demand for lithium. But the light metal, which is essential for making power-packed rechargeable batteries, isn't abundant. Now, researchers report a major step toward tapping a virtually limitless lithium supply: pulling it straight out of seawater.