The United States is grappling with critical resource challenges that pose a direct threat to national security. Addressing these issues requires a combination of diligence and patience, and a dedicated effort to navigate the intricacies and complexities of finding practical solutions. This endeavor requires a sustained commitment, acknowledging that resolution involves numerous twists and turns.
A sense of urgency is crucial. The importance of swift action cannot be overstated, considering the far-reaching implications of these resource problems. The urgency stems from the need to secure the nation’s resources strategically, ensuring a robust and sustainable foundation for national security. A careful balance between persistent effort and a timely response is essential to address and overcome these pressing challenges.
The dangerous dependence of the United States on China and Russia for crucial minerals and metals essential to military production and the national economy is a cause for concern. The potential consequences of a disruption in imports are profoundly troubling and pose significant challenges. Considering the implications of a cutoff underscores the urgency of addressing this vulnerability in the supply chain. It emphasizes the critical need to develop domestic alternatives and secure the essential resources independently to mitigate potential risks and safeguard national interests.
In the event of an embargo on rare earths, the potential consequences are far-reaching and multifaceted. Rare earths play a pivotal role as essential components in an array of weapons systems, ranging from missiles and lasers to nighttime goggles. Beyond the military sector, these materials are also integral to consumer products, such as battery technology for electric vehicles and solar and wind energy transmission.
The dominance of China in the global processing of rare earths creates a challenge for the United States. The dependence on China as the leading supplier of 29 out of 43 key minerals, including rare earths, underscores a vulnerability in the supply chain. This reliance grants China substantial leverage over the supply chains for advanced technologies, posing a potential threat to national security and economic stability.
In light of these circumstances, the United States must diversify its sources of rare earths and invest in domestic production. This approach mitigates the risks associated with a potential embargo and strengthens the nation’s resilience in the face of geopolitical uncertainties, ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of essential minerals.
Recent findings in the United States regarding rare earths and other essential minerals indicate the potential to break free from dependence on China. Those optimistic about the future improvement of U.S.-China relations tend to overlook China’s actions, such as last year’s ban on the export of rare earth technology and the preceding prohibition on selling minerals vital to the military.
A decision lies before us. We can persist in depending on adversaries like Russia, which provides essential minerals like nickel and titanium, or capitalize on our plentiful domestic resources. Notably, a substantial reserve of rare earths has been discovered in Wyoming, with an estimated 2.34 billion tons, surpassing China’s 44 million tons.
Consider lithium, a crucial mineral in electric vehicle batteries that rely on imports. The United States might possess the world’s most extensive lithium resource. Geologists indicate that the McDermitt Caldera, situated on the Nevada-Oregon border, boasts a lithium concentration more than twice that of any other clay bed, totaling 20 million to 40 million metric tons. This surpasses the lithium deposits in Bolivia’s salt flats, which hold the world record.
Another critical element is copper, and a substantial deposit in southern Arizona has the potential to meet nearly 25 percent of the United States’ annual copper demand. Referred to as the proposed Resolution Copper mine, its accessibility could significantly influence global competition for copper, especially as demand is expected to surge by 600 percent to 900 percent by 2030.
Meanwhile, nickel, found in a substantial underground deposit in northern Minnesota, is no longer just a potential resource awaiting extraction. The environmental review process is underway, and the Department of Energy has allocated a $114 million grant to facilitate the construction of a processing plant in North Dakota for this project.
The United States depends on China for manganese, a vital battery metal, with demand projected to increase ninefold by 2030. The landscape could undergo a significant transformation with the commencement of mining at the Hermosa project in the Patagonia mountains of southern Arizona. Upon its operational debut, the mine is poised to have the capability to generate both manganese and zinc. This development can potentially reshape the dynamics of manganese supply for the United States and contribute to meeting the escalating demand for this critical battery component.
The crucial message underlying all these observations is that America possesses abundant reserves of minerals and metals, including cobalt, graphite, aluminum, and other raw materials lying beneath the ground. However, the development of these resources faces significant challenges, primarily due to a convoluted permitting process that is time-consuming, and even upon completion, there’s no assurance of approval.
Notably, two years ago, Congress took steps to expedite the permitting process, but the government has yet to implement these changes. There is a moral imperative for the administration to take decisive action, as much hinges on the steps it takes to address this issue.
Reprinted with permission from The DC Journal by Dan Ervin.
This is an important issue, but our leaders seem to think the environment is more important, to not contaminate it with mining. It’s okay, though, for China to ruin their environment. In my opinion, this country can develop cleaner mining procedures to ameliorate environmental impact, as we have with many other industries, and to also keep government regulation to a minimum (although that’s a stretch to imagine).
Another stupid democrat decision when Biden was voted in. I believe he is the puppet and Obama, and his clan were the trigger people!!!!!!!
I hope politicians grow up and begin to write off this incessant demand for huge quantities of Lithium. Its hazardous to mine, is horrific on the surroundings to mine……..and for Gods sake, other than the hairy legged, purple haired entitled wealthy white women, NOBODY wants a damned electric vehicle.
Wanna mine iron? Coal? Copper? Gold? Silver? Fine……..but keep it to minerals we TRULY need.
The political class will never allow extraction. Remember, they hate you, they hate me, and they hate America. Period.
This is what I heard, the investors are selling off OUR mineral stocks as FUTURE potential money making stocks. Buy now, dig later, even foreign counties can own and buy the future stocks!! Americans… wake up, our country is being sold right from under our feet!
Are those rare minerals found in China or in the countries they colonized and where are all the good stewards of our mother Earth I can imagine the carelessness and irresponsibility on chinese part They are the biggest polluters and abusers yet not a peep from the hypocrites worrying about environment we here in America so endanger
Post the stock symbols….can’t hurt to invest a bit.
At the rate with which people are dying from the consequences of the policies of liberals, who would, logically, be opposed to drilling for oil, producing shale-oil, natural gas, coal or any other economically beneficial commodity that would not only enrich us, but put us in a better condition to deal, strategically, with any of the threats that confront us in various places around the world? Biden, of course, is not logical, so he is opposed. Until Americans realize this and are willing to grow up and face the fact that our innate, terminal condition is not going to be relieved or exacerbated by the production of fossil fuels. Wake up, America! It’s a choice and you are suffering from some really stupid ones.
It is time for USA to allow foreign countries to operate business in this country, but never to have ownership of the land. Many other countries have this policy in place & it is needed here to make sure that big money does not own our natural resources & farmlands and such, but can only lease or rent. All Americans need to sit back & think what would happen to USA if foreign countries owned all of our ranches , farms, mines, oil production, etc. and decided to export all instead of providing to Americans. Scary thought is it not?
Article says 2.34 Billion tons rare earth discovered in Wyoming, which is much more than in China. Is this being developed & is this proven ore reserves or inferred resources? And has a feasibility plan been completed that show this to be a viable source? Please advise how we can look at report on this discovery.
In reality, the Biden Admin’ will do its best to avoid making a decision re., within borders critical metals mining; especially pre the Nov 2024 election. Even after, should they win the Dems will likely go for supporting friendly borders mining. This negates upsetting the environmental/green voting block and the invariably deep pockets that will throw up legal obstacles in the way of any new US within-borders mining, only leading to years of delays.
In fact, such politically expedient moves have already started with the Biden Admin’ supporting the likes of Syrah for graphite while looking to grandfather in miners/processors who already have mines in the US like Jervois in Cobalt and MP in RE.
GLTA – REI
Again this was brought on by the Totalitarian Democrat Party actions in passing laws and condemning, stopping, mining operations here in America.We need to impose tariffs now to allow the cost of mining the materials here in America to be profitable.It’s easy to undercut another nations costs when you have free slave labor and don’t care about environmental health or the labor force.We can also just stop buying into the whole BS of electrification of everything that require rare earth materials and in fact do more long term damage to the environment.Again this crisis was artificially created by Totalitarian Communist Democrat Party.
It truly exposes the hypocrisy of the marxist democrat party and green energy whacko when they claim that America must give BILLIONS of taxpayers money and live without gas powered vehicles, stoves and ac,while china and other countries contribute MOST of the pollution and EXEMPT themselves from the useless resolutions from these organizations. Its just another RIPOFF of American taxpayers by marxist democrats and their ilk.
Remember Solendra ( billions ripoff solar power from obama), along with the billion in cash to iran, joebama biden leaving 9 billion in weapons to Afghanistan ( to be used against America) the depths if traitorous actions and destruction of OUR COUNTRY by these scum is unbelievable!
THROW THEM OUT
At election time REMEMBER what they have done to Our Faith,Families and Freedom.
Remember
Amen.