Critical Minerals
Aluminum to Zirconium, critical minerals are essential elements for technological devices, green energy, and military defense systems, pushing the boundaries of how to achieve national security.
Episode 20
12/19/2024
In the 20th regular episode of Sustainable Planet, Jorden and Kimberly explore why critical minerals are vital to modern society, excavate who’s got what and where, and unearth just how deep the issues go surrounding critical minerals.
Key Topics Jorden and Kimberly discuss include:
Why all rare earth elements (REEs) are critical minerals, but all critical minerals are not REEs
Who defines what qualifies as critical minerals and why artisanal mines aren’t trendy
How China gained a stranglehold over most of the world’s critical mineral supply chain
Why just because a country has 75% of the world’s cobalt reserves or 52% of the global lithium supply isn’t necessarily the #1 processor of the mineral
How a slew of acronyms—from IRMA and ICMM to ISO and IEA are attempting to regulate critical mineral extraction
Strategies to tackle the abundance of environmental and humanitarian issues surrounding the mining industry
Recommended Resources
The IEA’s Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2024
Trade Tensions Escalate 12/24
Mining in Africa 7/23
Kimberly’s Substack newsletter post
