Welcome to the new edition of MINE Magazine. 

In this issue, a cornerstone of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s tenure has been cutting the red tape that hinders economic exploitation of the Amazon rainforest. As moves to open indigenous lands and
conservation areas to mineral exploration draw widespread opposition, we look at Brazil’s push to encourage a wave of mineral exploration in the country.

Also, despite being lauded as key material for a renewables revolution, lithium has also been blamed
for speeding up desertification around the salt lakes of Latin America’s ‘lithium triangle’. So does
lithium have a water problem, and what is being done?

Elsewhere, while space mining is an attractive financial proposition, technological and logistical challenges remain before the dream of mining asteroids for billions of dollars can be realised. We speak to the University of Edinburgh about research into a new, bacteria-driven mining process that could overcome these challenges.

For all this and more, read on.

Callum Tyndall, editor