The explosion of AI across every industry has seen hundreds of water- and power-hungry server farms sprout up across the US.
Already, one-third of the world's internet traffic flows through data centers in just one US state: Virginia.
Aluminum is infinitely recyclable, but Americans throw out millions of tons of it every year — mainly aluminum cans and other post-consumer scrap. At the same time, US can-recycling rates are falling drastically behind several countries. In New York City, canners are vital to making recycling work.
Most of the world's sugar comes from sugarcane. But the plant is so difficult to harvest that farmers often set their fields on fire first to get rid of leaves and unwanted pests. That's how most sugarcane is harvested in Florida, the largest producer of sugar in the US. Residents who live near the fields say the giant smoke clouds are is making them sick.
New Zealand is the world's largest kiwi exporter, shipping out over $1 billion of fruit annually. But a little over a decade ago, a deadly plant disease called PSA nearly wiped out the industry. A scientist named Russell Lowe saved it with a new breed called SunGold, which has overtaken green varieties as the most popular kind.
Underwater welders have one of the world's riskiest jobs. We followed welders in Indonesia who dive with minimal protection in polluted waters to build piers for petrochemical plants that are booming across the country.
It can transform from helicopter to airplane in seconds, providing a vital role for the US military by ferrying troops in and out of combat zones.
But the V-22 Osprey has also caused the deaths of 62 service members. A crash in Japan last year grounded the entire fleet.