Gypsum, a rocky mineral is abundant in desert regions where fresh water is usually in very short supply but oil and gas fields are common. Writing in International Journal of Global Environmental Issues, Peter van der Gaag of the Holland Innovation Team, in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, has hit on the idea of using the untapped energy from oil and gas flare-off to release the water locked in gypsum.

The recently discovered Cave of Crystals in Naica (Chihuahua, Mexico) contains some of the largest and most fascinating natural crystals ever found: transparent gypsum beams up to 11 meters long.