Dirty and Difficult to Come by - Critical Raw Materials
June 4, 2021
The child labor adding a shine to cosmetics
Mica is a group of minerals used in electronics, paints and cosmetics. It adds an attractive shimmer to cosmetics; it's also a good conductor of heat and an electrical insulator. But very often children are involved in mining it.
What makes your smartphone smart?
Smartphones couldn't exist without rare earths. They cause it to vibrate, for example, and display vivid colors. So rare earth elements are in huge demand worldwide. But mining them is difficult and bad for the environment. And reserves are finite.
A second life for EV batteries
Lithium-ion batteries have enabled us to manufacture electric cars that don't run on fossil fuels. But how green are these batteries really? And what happens once they're spent?
Critical raw materials in northern Europe?
Critical raw materials like lithium, rare earths and graphite are in high demand, but in most places they're not readily available. A team of geologists is working to find them in northern Europe - to allow the EU to be less dependent on China.
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