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https://theconversation.com/by-not-mining-vital-minerals-nz-is-offshoring-its-own-environmental-footprint-is-that-fair-231166>
"When Resources Minister Shane Jones recently unveiled his draft strategy for
mineral mining, it was quickly criticised by the Labour opposition as “taking
New Zealand backwards”. One environmental group even called it a “love letter
to mining companies”.
But the government’s ambition to double the sector’s export value to NZ$2
billion by 2035, with flow-on effects for local employment and regional
economies, deserves a broader debate.
In particular, New Zealanders opposed to mineral mining must ask whether it is
ethically fair and reasonable to effectively outsource the risks of mining to
other countries, while benefiting from the modern technologies those minerals
make possible.
The government’s mining strategy aims to produce a list of “critical minerals”
for exploration. The International Energy Agency identifies minerals such as
copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements as essential components
in many of today’s rapidly growing clean energy technologies – from wind
turbines and electricity networks to electric vehicles.
Indeed, according to the United Nations Environment Programme, these critical
minerals are increasingly necessary for decarbonising energy systems. One of
the three pillars of the draft minerals strategy is the delivery of minerals
“for a clean energy transition”. How we source those minerals is an important
question."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
