China has us "by the balls": the 50 crucial minerals that determine geo-politics and viability of the energy transition
The US and EU are aiming to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 as part of their commitment to tackle "climate change." Political talk full of intentions, vistas, and "grandstanding": look at me being virtuous... A political agenda with a staggering and society-disrupting cost: 150,000 bln. USD (source) (source).
Not only do we not have the dough for this madness. Neither do the minerals. Neither do the Americans.
The American energy transition depends on renewables like wind and solar as the basis for the intended "electrification of society," including heating and transportation. Local production of the raw materials needed for this (for solar panels, wind turbines, battery systems and electric vehicles, among others) is lacking. Understandably, this has caused great concern in Washington.
In the image below, based on data from the U.S. Geological Survey, Bruno Venditti of Visual Capitalist lists all the minerals that the United States government considers critical to both the economy and national security.
What are essential minerals?
An essential mineral is one whose availability is uncertain. This may be due to geological scarcity, geopolitical issues, trade policy, or other factors. In 2018, the U.S. Department of the Interior released a list of 35 essential minerals. The new list, released in February 2022, includes 15 additional commodities.
The challenge for the West is that local production of these commodities is extremely limited, if not non-existent. In addition, industry and the primary sector (including mineral extraction) in Western countries are rapidly being made impossible by increasing regulatory pressure.
For example, in 2021 there was only one operating nickel mine in the United States, the Eagle mine in Michigan. This facility is scheduled to close in 2025. Similarly, the U.S. still housed only one lithium mine, the Silver Peak Mine in Nevada.
Both the EU and the US rely very heavily on imports. Imports largely from countries that compete with us. Both economically and geopolitically. Supply disruptions from such countries therefore lead to complete disruption in the West. A variant of the current gas and oil dependence of Europe on Russia.
China's dominance in minerals
It is perhaps not surprising that China is the world's largest source of supply of mineral resources. Cesium, an essential metal used in a wide range of products, is one example. There are only three mines in the world that can produce cesium and all three are controlled by Chinese companies. The Chinese have been structurally and systematically increasing their interests in mineral mines and processing plants worldwide for many years.
Moreover, China refines nearly 90% of the world's rare earths. They are essential for a variety of products such as EVs, advanced ceramics, computers, smartphones, wind turbines, monitors and fiber optics. After China, the second largest source of mineral resources for the United States is Canada, which supplied the United States with 16 different elements (out of 5 by 2021.
Rising demand for essential minerals
As the world's transitions to clean energy accelerate, the demand for essential minerals will grow rapidly. According to the International Energy Association, the rise of low-carbon power generation is expected to triple demand for minerals from this sector by 2040.
China has the world "by the balls" when it comes to the West's dependence on these minerals. The feasibility of climate plans is therefore largely determined by the Chinese. An extremely comfortable position to systematically increase China's global sphere of influence. Waging war is not necessary for this.
https://eucalyptischgenootscha....p.nl/china-heeft-ons
