Fossil fuel harms outweigh
mining for REE much smaller than that for fossil fuels
Osaka, 23 (February 2, 2023 at 6:30 a.m. EST, Shannon Osaka, “Minerals are crucial for electric cars and wind turbines. Some worry whether we have enough; Minerals are crucial for electric cars, wind turbines, and solar panels. Some worry whether the future supply can meet the rising demand,” https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/02/02/critical-minerals-run-out-shortage/, JMP)) ***Note --- Seaver Wang is the co-director of climate and energy at the energy think tank the Breakthrough Institute
Wang said that there will probably be enough minerals — and that the environmental impacts of mining them should pale in comparison to the damages of fossil fuels. (Humanity “mines” billions of tons of fossil fuels from the ground every year; even a huge increase in mineral mining will only be millions of tons.)
But much still has to be done to ensure mining is safe for ecosystems and the people that will surround them. “The bottom line is that if a lot of these commodities are really going to be as hot as people say, there ought to be enough economic benefit to ensure that more goes to the community and to the workers,” Wang said.