America's Critical Minerals Crisis

About this episode

This episode discusses the importance of critical minerals, the U.S. dependency on foreign supply chains, and innovative approaches to mineral recovery.

Critical minerals sit at the heart of modern life—from phones and data centers to EVs, defense systems, and the power grid. Yet the U.S. remains heavily dependent on foreign supply chains for these resources that are dominated by China. In failing to develop holistic and responsible mineral supply chains the U.S. risks bottlenecks in semiconductors, defense, and clean energy. This puts both economic security and climate goals at risk, while perpetuating human rights abuses. In this episode, we discuss what counts as a “critical mineral,” why obtaining these resources is so consequential, and how U.S. policy is shifting as geopolitical pressures mount. We also explore a new biotech and machine learning approach to recovering minerals from existing mine waste with Liz Dennett, founder & CEO of Endolith. Liz explains how American-led innovation can unlock new supplies for critical minerals, such as copper, in a more efficient and sustainable manner—and why the stakes are so high for these resources today.

People in this episode

Guest: Liz Dennett

Topics covered

• critical minerals
• supply chains
• geopolitics
• sustainability
• innovation

Keywords

• EVs
• defense systems
• power grid
• biotech
• machine learning

Mentioned in this episode

Products: copper

Places: America, U.S., China

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