China's Grip on Rare-Earth Elements and the Future of Global Energy Security

About this episode:

To build electric vehicles, solar panels, cell phones, and millions of other devices means the world must dig more mines to extract lithium, copper, and other vital building blocks. But mines are deeply unpopular, even as they have a role to play in fighting climate change and powering crucial technologies.

Shermer and Scheyder discuss:

• How much rare earth metals will we need by 2050, 2100, and beyond?

• How do lithium-ion batteries work compared to lead-acid? What are the alternatives?

• Will EVs completely replace all other cars?

• Can renewables completely replace fossil fuels without nuclear?

• How mining works in the U.S., China, Chile, Russia, elsewhere

Ernest Scheyder is a senior correspondent for Reuters, covering the green energy transition and the minerals that undergird it. He previously covered the US shale oil revolution, politics, and the environment at the Associated Press.