Deep sea mining for rare earth elements could start as early as 2026, even as 38 countries have called for a moratorium on it.
The metals that companies are targeting are used in many green technologies like electric cars and wind turbines – but mining them is destructive to the environment. Some in the mining industry say the mining is necessary to a green transition – and essential to democratizing that transition globally since the supply chain is currently dominated by a single country, China. Meanwhile, some scientists caution against mining before the full scope of environmental damage can be understood.
Can there be balance in this environmental and political push-and-pull? Hosts Regina G. Barber and Emily Kwong dive into this debate and talk about what science has to say.
Curious about other science controversies? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.
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This episode was produced by Rachel Carlson and Berly McCoy, edited by Rebecca and fact-checked by Tyler Jones. Jimmy Keeley was the audio engineer.
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