China's Grip on Rare-Earth Elements and the Future of Global Energy Security
To build electric vehicles, solar panels, cell phones, and millions of other devices means the world must dig more mines to extract lithium, copper, and other vital building blocks. But mines are deeply unpopular, even as they have a role to play in fighting climate change and powering crucial technologies.
Shermer and Scheyder discuss: \u2022 How much rare earth metals will we need by 2050, 2100, and beyond? \u2022 How do lithium-ion batteries work compared to lead-acid? What are the alternatives? \u2022 Will EVs completely replace all other cars? \u2022 Can renewables completely replace fossil fuels without nuclear? \u2022 How mining works in the U.S., China, Chile, Russia, elsewhere.
Ernest Scheyder is a senior correspondent for Reuters, covering the green energy transition and the minerals that undergird it. He previously covered the US shale oil revolution, politics, and the environment at the Associated Press.