Discontinued operations - Financial Information (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Net Loss	$ (377,321)	$ (532,710)	$ (4,448,798)	$ (1,786,873)
Gain on sale of discontinued operations	0	0	0	3,621,170
Discontinued Operations | Mexico Project Development
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Net Loss	377,321	532,710	4,448,798	1,786,873
Depreciation expense	$ 1,137	$ 1,136	$ 3,409	$ 3,409