Part 2: Critical Minerals = Militarisation x Mining Boom 2.0

Part 2: Critical Minerals = Militarisation x Mining Boom 2.0

From Women on the Line by Cleis Hart, Kannagi Bhatt, Phuong Tran, Xen Nhà & Scheherazade Bloul.

March 22, 2026

About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of critical minerals in relation to militarisation and mining, featuring insights from researcher Mercedes Zanker.

In this second part of our conversation on critical minerals with researcher and activist Mercedes Zanker (Renegade Activists), we examine the global supply chains that shape how these resources are controlled, processed, and distributed. As Australia and the rest of the Anglosphere amp up their focus on usurping China's monopoly over the critical minerals supply chain, we explore the logic of national security and how that shrouds tracing critical minerals to the industry of war.Mercedes has extensively written and researched military supply chains as part of Renegade Activists, who also host a show on 3CR, A Friday Night Rave.We hear music from Double Dole Stringband: www.instagram.com/double_dole_stringbandPart 1 of the conversation: https://www.3cr.org.au/womenontheline/episode/critical-minerals-militarisation-x-mining-boom-20

People in this episode

Hosts: Cleis Hart, Kannagi Bhatt, Phuong Tran, Xen Nhà, Scheherazade Bloul

Guest: Mercedes Zanker

Topics covered

  • critical minerals
  • militarisation
  • mining
  • supply chains
  • national security
  • war industry

Keywords

  • critical minerals
  • militarisation
  • mining boom
  • supply chains
  • national security
  • war

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Renegade Activists, 3CR, Double Dole Stringband

Places: Australia, China

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