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Critical MineralsCritical minerals are a subset of minerals used to build the batteries, computer chips, and magnets that power modern technologies, from personal devices, to clean energy sources, and advanced military apparatuses. The US government has identified 50 minerals as "critical," deeming them to be essential to the national interest but to have a vulnerable supply chain. Global competition to control the supply chains of these minerals—which are finite and dispersed around the world—has intensified as nations seek to gain an edge in today's technology-driven world. Rare earth elements are some of the most sought-after minerals because their unique atomic structures give rise to various electrical, luminescent, and magnetic properties. While abundant throughout Earth's crust, rare earths are mixed in ores at low concentrations and require extraction and processing. As of 2025, China accounts for about 70% of global rare earth ore extraction and 90% of rare earth ore processing.Explore Critical Minerals

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All clean energy technologies rely heavily on critical mineralsAlthough many of these minerals have been used for decades, such as copper in electrical wiring, the accelerating demand for them has strained existing extraction and processing systems. Supply chain disruptions for these materials may delay and increase the cost of transitioning to solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal power. International Energy Agency Beyond critical minerals, copper is emerging as a bottleneck to clean energyCopper remains invaluable for the transmission of electricity needed in energy infrastructure projects, with 90% of the average circuit board made of the element. However, limited smelting capacity and low ore quality amid increasing demands are stressing global supplies. NPR Explore an interactive database of critical minerals and their usesColumbia University's Critical Materials Monitor identifies 56 elements required for the clean energy transition. The tool provides details on the reserves, production, and trade of each element, alongside what materials are needed for each technology (desktop only). Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University Weird ways critical minerals are being minedCritical minerals like lithium, cobalt, and graphite are economically crucial non-fuel resources subject to supply chain risks. To diversify production, scientists developed odd ways to harvest them. This article breaks down the weirdest approaches, including extracting minerals from seawater using algae, phytomining plants, and asteroids. Grist Most of the critical mineral supply needed for US data centers is importedThe country with the most data centers relies on other nations for about 80% of the rare earth elements needed for magnetic materials in storage drives, 64% of the silver and 85% of the platinum it uses for electrical circuitry, and about half the aluminum and copper used in heat sinks that dissipate thermal energy from electronic components. USGS Hear about the secret room where your rights are decidedA court designed to be the least powerful branch became one of the most influential institutions in history. 1440 Explores host Sony Kassam dives inside the Supreme Court of the United States, with help from Yale law professor Akhil Reed Amar, to uncover how it gained extraordinary authority, what really happens behind closed doors, and why its power has become one of the most fiercely contested questions in modern democracy. 1440 Originals 'Ghost towns' are rarely known for ghost sightingsInstead, they're places an industry has abandoned, leaving many of the town's buildings decrepit and abandoned. That doesn't mean they're completely empty; some folks prefer the pace and look of ghost towns, which often lean into their Old West aesthetics. The Vox documentary explores ghost towns in Nevada, which is home to more than 600. Vox The venture capital mindset is shaping the US into a 'portfolio state'For decades, the US has operated as a low-regulation, private-sector-driven, globalized economy (also known as neoliberalism). In recent years, the Trump administration has taken direct stakes (rather than providing subsidies) in private companies with strategic products like semiconductors and rare earths. This paper argues the approach allows the US to capture the upside of growth. Foreign Policy Research Institute Volcanic activity can lead to the formation of fertile soilsEjected rock can introduce key minerals found in fertilizers, including iron, magnesium, and potassium, to improve soil quality. Ash and basalt crystals can be easily absorbed into soils, infusing them with sulfur, oxygen, chlorine, phosphorus, calcium, and other critical elements. WorldAtlas Humans need vitamins, but research is mixed on taking supplementsWhen an organism needs an organic molecule to survive, but cannot synthesize enough of it itself, that molecule is called a vitamin. Typically, we consume vitamins through food, but many resort to supplements—a common and mostly unregulated practice. BBC Explore a series of articles on the costs of critical mineral extractionThe acquisition of critical minerals—essential materials for clean energy technologies—has often been accompanied by harm to water supplies, natural ecosystems, and Indigenous lands, raising questions about the overall benefit of these technologies. Grist Explore an interactive atlas of worldwide critical mineral productionThis tool from the US Geological Survey tracks the production over over 90 minerals in 180 countries. For a selected country, you can see how many critical minerals it produces, where else those minerals are produced, and what each mineral is used for. USGS Deep-sea mining risks underwater ecosystems for new critical mineral sourcesThe seafloor contains cobalt-rich deposits at underwater ridges and seamounts, as well as nodules—potato-sized deposits of metals—scattered at depths between 4,000 and 6,000 meters. Mining noise, lights, release of toxic elements, and scraping of the seafloor could affect marine organisms. the Guardian Review Congress's 2025 report on the history of US critical mineral policyFor decades, supply chains for critical minerals have grown increasingly vulnerable due to reliance on imports. In 2022, the US Geological Survey expanded the list of critical minerals to 50 to better reflect growing industrial needs, exacerbating this vulnerability. Congress.gov As of 2022, Canada has the most planned critical mineral minesWealthy nations are tapping into their domestic critical mineral reserves and buying up mines in poorer countries. The US, the UK, Canada, Australia, and China are taking the lead, with Chinese operations spanning all continents except Antarctica. Energy Monitor Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia hold more than 75% of the world’s supply of lithiumDespite the dependence of phones, laptops, electric cars, and other technologies on the soft, silvery-white metal for their batteries, residents of the Lithium Triangle have not seen the benefits of investments into mining this critical mineral, and have instead faced water shortages and pollution. Harvard International Review Critical mineral production may lift impoverished regions out of povertyMineral wealth can provide public revenue and economic livelihoods to those in mining regions. However, poor management and lack of oversight can cause human rights abuses, environmental degradation, and significant greenhouse gas emissions. International Energy Agency View a list of 50 minerals critical to US economic and national securityMost of the US's supply of critical minerals depends on countries that have historically competed with it, which has raised concerns in Washington. These minerals are needed for green technologies to meet greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. Visual Capitalist Growing EV adoption requires battery management infrastructureDespite rechargeable batteries' limited life cycle, companies like Spiers New Technologies have developed methods to repair, refurbish, repurpose and recycle these components to minimize environmental waste, lower demand for new critical minerals, and increase electric vehicle lifetimes. CNBC

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