Comments

You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name

Your e-mail (optional)

Website (optional)

	My Original Nic Pic-a-Nic Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Foto

Submit your comments on this article

Economy

More U.S. Mining Is A Win For People And The Planet

2023-08-06

[ZERO] Since assuming office in 2021, President Biden has prioritized the development of wind and solar projects, but there’s been a clear and consistent hypocrisy from administration officials. To build these energy projects, we need raw materials such as copper, cobalt, and lithium — all rare earth minerals which require more mining — something the Biden Administration is refusing to champion. This was on clear display in our home state of Minnesota, where earlier this year, the Biden Interior Department banned copper-nickel mining in part of the Duluth Complex in the Superior National Forest. The Duluth Complex in northern Minnesota is home to the largest copper-nickel find in the world. The area contains 95% of America’s nickel reserves, almost 90% of our cobalt reserves, and some 33% of our copper reserves.

Yet, with the expansion of clean energy and other mineral needs, demand for raw materials such as copper is only expected to increase in the coming years. In fact, the World Bank estimates that by 2050, our global mining needs will grow by approximately 500%. That is a massive increase, of course, and will require political willpower to mine. If we’re going to expand mining, for the wellbeing of people and our planet, we should do it here in the U.S.

Currently, many of these raw materials are sourced from countries like China and the DR Congo. In fact, China controls 80% of the world’s rare-earth element supply, a stunning monopoly. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has used this monopoly to assert its influence in foreign nations, such as the DRC. These countries, though, have disturbing and abysmal labor and environmental standards. In the DRC, for example, there have been instances of child slave labor in mines, a grievous violation of basic human rights. The exploitation and mistreatment of children through forced labor is an abhorrent practice that should never be tolerated.

Posted by:Besoeker

#2 Biden prefers to let the Chinese use slaves in Africa to do the mining where they are none too particular about protecting slaves or the environment. That way the Chinese get the profits and Joe gets the bribes.

Posted by: Shinemble Omenter9007 2023-08-06 12:11

#1 The US has so much potential. Shame it is simply not going to be allowed - cuts into the take by certain individuals.

Posted by: Rex Mundi 2023-08-06 09:10

00:00