Unearthed: The Mining Issue
Weaning the world off fossil fuels is going to take a whole lot of metal.
The world needs massive amounts of critical minerals to power the transition to clean energy. But as countries and industries explore new mining opportunities, a major question looms: Can all of this extraction be done without the same environmental and human costs associated with fossil fuels?
Featured
A guide to the 4 minerals shaping the world's energy future
To address climate change, we're going to need a whole lot of metal.
More In This Series
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![A man poses for a photo while standing in a large field with sparse vegetation]()
![A man poses for a photo while standing in a large field with sparse vegetation]()
Chile’s lithium boom promises jobs and money — but threatens a critical water source
The Atacama Desert is a major source of lithium for EV batteries. As global demand ramps up, the local Lickanantay people are racing to protect already scarce water supplies and their way of life.
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![A snowy village near a fjord]()
![A snowy village near a fjord]()
Beneath Greenland’s ice lies a climate solution — and a new geopolitical battleground
Modern society, and the clean energy revolution, depend on rare earth elements. Can Greenland help break China's stranglehold on the market?
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![The sun sets on the mining vessel ‘Hidden Gem’]()
![The sun sets on the mining vessel ‘Hidden Gem’]()
Digging for minerals in the Pacific’s graveyard: The $20 trillion fight over who controls the seabed
“The soul of our ancestors, when they leave this world, they go into the deep.”
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![A pile of electronics in a warehouse with a sign indoors that says 'redwood materials']()
![A pile of electronics in a warehouse with a sign indoors that says 'redwood materials']()
Mining is an environmental and human rights nightmare. Battery recycling can ease that.
Recycling provides economic, national security, and environmental benefits. But the United States is playing catch-up to Asian countries, particularly China.
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![A geologic map of Arizona's castle rock quadrangle]()
![A geologic map of Arizona's castle rock quadrangle]()
Why Biden and Trump both support this federal mineral mapping project
A U.S. Geological Survey effort to find underground deposits of clean energy metals has gotten bipartisan support.
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![A woman in traditional Indigenous clothing holds her fist aloft during a protest]()
![A woman in traditional Indigenous clothing holds her fist aloft during a protest]()
Most critical minerals are on Indigenous lands. Will miners respect tribal sovereignty?
Grist spoke with five experts to understand what free, prior, and informed consent should look like in this new era of extraction.
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![A gas pump and ev charger juxtaposed]()
![A gas pump and ev charger juxtaposed]()
Is mining critical minerals better than extracting fossil fuels?
Extracting resources from the Earth always comes with costs. As we race toward a cleaner, greener future, there is a risk of repeating the abuses of mining for coal and other fossil fuels.
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![A row of test tubes with snippets of seaweed inside]()
![A row of test tubes with snippets of seaweed inside]()
The weirdest ways scientists are mining for critical minerals, from water to weeds
Not all critical minerals need to come from digging up the earth.
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In the race to find critical minerals, there’s a ‘gold mine’ literally at our shoreline
Instead of continuing to dig tunnels or pits, some scientists are looking to a promising — but challenging — source of minerals: seawater.
CREDITS
REPORTING AND WRITING
Jake Bittle, Anita Hofschneider, Jesse Nichols, Tik Root, Matt Simon, Taylar Dawn Stagner, Diana Kruzman, Syris Valentine, Eve Andrews, Maddie Stone, Katya Zimmerman, Muriel Alarcón, Lyndsey Gilpin, Tom Vaillant
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
Teresa Chin, Amelia Bates, Clayton Aldern, Jesse Nichols, Parker Ziegler, Jason Castro
EDITING
John Thomason, Jaime Buerger, Katherine Bagley, Tristan Ahtone, Chuck Squatriglia, LV Anderson
FACT-CHECKING
Angely Mercado, Gautama Mehta, Sachi Kitajima Mulkey
COPY EDITING
Claire Elise Thompson, Joseph Winters, Kate Yoder
DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS
Rachel Glickhouse
AUDIENCE DIRECTION
Megan Merrigan, Justin Ray, Mignon Khargie
