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List of Natural Resources articles
![Visitors stand on a salt mound at an Albemarle Corporation lithium mine in the Atacama Desert, Chile, on Aug. 24, 2022.]()
Visitors stand on a salt mound at an Albemarle Corporation lithium mine in the Atacama Desert, Chile, on Aug. 24, 2022.
How Chile’s Politics Are Shaping the Global Energy Transition
Chile’s rightward lurch is an opportunity to expand the supply of lithium, a critical battery resource.
![Houses are shown on the edge of deep gouges in the land.]()
Houses are shown on the edge of deep gouges in the land.
U.S. Apathy Paved the Way for China in Africa
Despite a strong foothold during the Cold War, Washington has since fumbled on the continent.
![A worker walks past machinery that crushes rocks at the Mughulkhil chromite mine in Logar province, Afghanistan.]()
A worker walks past machinery that crushes rocks at the Mughulkhil chromite mine in Logar province, Afghanistan.
China’s Got Afghan Fever, Again
Nothing says forever like the promise of Afghanistan’s mineral riches.
![An aerial view of a lithium mine that shws tripes of white and gold, and a crane in one of the stripes.]()
An aerial view of a lithium mine that shws tripes of white and gold, and a crane in one of the stripes.
The 21st-Century Gold Rush
Will there be a new cold war over lithium?
![U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a virtual meeting on securing critical mineral supply chains in the South Court Auditorium, located near the White House in Washington, D.C.]()
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a virtual meeting on securing critical mineral supply chains in the South Court Auditorium, located near the White House in Washington, D.C.
The Critical Minerals Club
The United States and allies aim to sidestep reliance on China for the materials needed for clean tech and advanced defense gear.
![Rectangular yellow, green, and blue pools are shown from an aerial view in the desert.]()
Rectangular yellow, green, and blue pools are shown from an aerial view in the desert.
Can South American Lithium Power Biden’s Battery Plans?
Washington needs lithium—but its history of intervention in the region complicates things.
![A Fulani displaced man works with his son to rebuild their hut in the camp for displaced people of Faladie in Bamako on April 29, 2020.]()
A Fulani displaced man works with his son to rebuild their hut in the camp for displaced people of Faladie in Bamako on April 29, 2020.
Ethnic Killings by West African Armies Are Undermining Regional Security
By joining hands with militias that target Fulani civilians, state forces risk sparking a wider conflict.
![An aerial view of brine ponds and processing areas of a Chilean lithium mine]()
An aerial view of brine ponds and processing areas of a Chilean lithium mine
China’s Latin American Gold Rush Is All About Clean Energy
Beijing’s not after gold—but lithium.
![German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visits Volkswagen’s Pacheco vehicle plant in General Pacheco, Argentina, on Jan. 29.]()
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visits Volkswagen’s Pacheco vehicle plant in General Pacheco, Argentina, on Jan. 29.
Germany’s Scholz Calls for a New Approach to the Lithium Rush
On a visit to South America, the chancellor pitched partnership rather than exploitation.
![A Greenlandic flag flutters on a boat sailing among icebergs floating in Disko Bay, Ilulissat, western Greenland, on June 28.]()
A Greenlandic flag flutters on a boat sailing among icebergs floating in Disko Bay, Ilulissat, western Greenland, on June 28.
How Greenland’s Mineral Wealth Made It a Geopolitical Battleground
Denmark’s semi-autonomous territory is coveted by China, the United States, and global mining companies.
![A street vendor sits next to banners for David Granger, presidential candidate for the National Unity and Alliance for Change party, in Georgetown, Guyana, on March 1, 2020.]()
A street vendor sits next to banners for David Granger, presidential candidate for the National Unity and Alliance for Change party, in Georgetown, Guyana, on March 1, 2020.
Is Guyana Getting a Fair Cut of Its Oil Bonanza?
The government is set to tweak its baseline contract with fuel companies after criticism it got fleeced.
![Workers stand on a roadside near a 'toxic lake' surrounded by rare earth refineries near the Chinese city of Baotou in August 2012.]()
Workers stand on a roadside near a 'toxic lake' surrounded by rare earth refineries near the Chinese city of Baotou in August 2012.
NIMBYism Is a Strategic Threat
Western countries’ reluctance to allow rare-earth mining at home is cementing dependence on China.
![A man in a hard hat watches a conveyor belt loaded with bright blue chunks of raw cobalt.]()
A man in a hard hat watches a conveyor belt loaded with bright blue chunks of raw cobalt.
How to Avoid a New Cold War Over Critical Minerals
To prevent a return to the zero-sum logic of Cold War resource politics, critical mineral supply chains must be widened at every step.
![A closeup of a silicon wafer on display at Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institution on September 16, 2022 in Hsinchu, Taiwan.]()
A closeup of a silicon wafer on display at Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institution on September 16, 2022 in Hsinchu, Taiwan.
The Battle Over Semiconductors Is Endangering Taiwan
TSMC is an economic boon, but its success makes China covet the industry while its natural resource consumption reduces resilience.
![A worker climbs through a copper and cobalt mine, materials used in production of electric cars, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.]()
A worker climbs through a copper and cobalt mine, materials used in production of electric cars, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
What Do Electric Cars Really Cost?
“Volt Rush” examines the price of a dirty green business—and China’s role.
![Afghan miners work.]()
Afghan miners work.
‘The Taliban Have Picked Up the Resource Curse’
The Taliban are strip-mining their mineral wealth to fund factional power grabs.
![Men in Kabul's Deh Sabz district work on the back of a coal truck.]()
Men in Kabul's Deh Sabz district work on the back of a coal truck.
Taliban Wage War Over Coal in Northern Afghanistan
The battle for cash pits the Kabul extremists against Hazara locals.
![A digger descends into a copper and cobalt mine in Kawama, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on June 8, 2016.]()
A digger descends into a copper and cobalt mine in Kawama, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on June 8, 2016.
Green Energy’s Dirty Secret: Its Hunger for African Resources
The scramble for battery metals threatens to replicate one of the most destructive dynamics in global economic history.
![The sun sets on a deep-sea mining vessel]()
The sun sets on a deep-sea mining vessel
Race to the Bottom: Deep Sea Mining Is the Next Frontier
The untapped trove of metals on the ocean floor might be the key to a greener future—or an environmental catastrophe.
Load 10 More Articles
How Chile’s Politics Are Shaping the Global Energy Transition
Chile’s rightward lurch is an opportunity to expand the supply of lithium, a critical battery resource.
U.S. Apathy Paved the Way for China in Africa
Despite a strong foothold during the Cold War, Washington has since fumbled on the continent.
China’s Got Afghan Fever, Again
Nothing says forever like the promise of Afghanistan’s mineral riches.
The 21st-Century Gold Rush
Will there be a new cold war over lithium?
The Critical Minerals Club
The United States and allies aim to sidestep reliance on China for the materials needed for clean tech and advanced defense gear.
Can South American Lithium Power Biden’s Battery Plans?
Washington needs lithium—but its history of intervention in the region complicates things.
Ethnic Killings by West African Armies Are Undermining Regional Security
By joining hands with militias that target Fulani civilians, state forces risk sparking a wider conflict.
China’s Latin American Gold Rush Is All About Clean Energy
Beijing’s not after gold—but lithium.
Germany’s Scholz Calls for a New Approach to the Lithium Rush
On a visit to South America, the chancellor pitched partnership rather than exploitation.
How Greenland’s Mineral Wealth Made It a Geopolitical Battleground
Denmark’s semi-autonomous territory is coveted by China, the United States, and global mining companies.
Is Guyana Getting a Fair Cut of Its Oil Bonanza?
The government is set to tweak its baseline contract with fuel companies after criticism it got fleeced.
NIMBYism Is a Strategic Threat
Western countries’ reluctance to allow rare-earth mining at home is cementing dependence on China.
How to Avoid a New Cold War Over Critical Minerals
To prevent a return to the zero-sum logic of Cold War resource politics, critical mineral supply chains must be widened at every step.
The Battle Over Semiconductors Is Endangering Taiwan
TSMC is an economic boon, but its success makes China covet the industry while its natural resource consumption reduces resilience.
What Do Electric Cars Really Cost?
“Volt Rush” examines the price of a dirty green business—and China’s role.
‘The Taliban Have Picked Up the Resource Curse’
The Taliban are strip-mining their mineral wealth to fund factional power grabs.
Taliban Wage War Over Coal in Northern Afghanistan
The battle for cash pits the Kabul extremists against Hazara locals.
Green Energy’s Dirty Secret: Its Hunger for African Resources
The scramble for battery metals threatens to replicate one of the most destructive dynamics in global economic history.
Race to the Bottom: Deep Sea Mining Is the Next Frontier
The untapped trove of metals on the ocean floor might be the key to a greener future—or an environmental catastrophe.
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