Image Pixabay.com [retrieved 20-Nov-2021]
The main takeaway from this New York Times article1 is that clean energy technology, like batteries for electric cars and windmills, is dependent on metals2 produced or processed outside the US; specifically China.
Unfortunately, the article is behind a paywall. However, the following graphs sum up the problem pretty well.
[NOTE: Although Congo produces the most cobalt, China, with help from Hunter Biden’s company, recently bought Congo’s largest deposit of cobalt from US company Freeport-McMoRan1.
[NOTE: Not shown in the above chart is Zinc, where China accounts for 38% of production and 47% of processing.3]
Anyone aware of the current automotive microchip shortage?, rising gas prices? The chart below shows where our microchips come from. This is just a sneak preview of what happens when you rely on other countries for your critical resources.
1 A Power Struggle Over Cobalt Rattles the Clean Energy Revolution