Metals and rare earths such as copper, lithium and neodymium are critical to building the green energy revolution that we need. Yet with global supply running short, and the mining process itself coming with severe social and environmental consequences, ethically meeting this rising demand is a huge challenge.
We mustn't allow metals to become the next oil, where a few corporations get to ruthlessly mine at the expense of the health of local communities and ecosystems. Without a fundamental shift in our socio-economic structures, the 'green revolution' could continue to perpetuate the existing environmental injustices, and contribute to other looming issues such as biodiversity loss and soil erosion.
Some of the articles I read:
- https://circulareconomy.europa.eu/platform/sites/default/files/metal_demand_for_renewable_electricity_production_in_the_netherlands.pdf
- https://www.earthworks.org/cms/assets/uploads/2019/04/MCEC_UTS_Report_lowres-1.pdf
- https://www.greenbiz.com/article/might-metals-clean-energy-transition
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421518302726
