The Minerals of War: Criticality in an Age of AI and Artillery
The article expands the "mineral imperative" concept, arguing that global demand for metals and critical minerals must roughly double by 2050 to sustain development, decarbonisation, digitalisation and now defence. While population growth, urbanisation, electrification and AI have already driven material intensity, modern great‑power conflict adds a fifth, under‑estimated driver. Weapons such as missiles, drones and advanced combat systems consume large quantities of copper, aluminium, rare‑earth magnets, tungsten, tantalum and other specialty metals. Ignoring the defence‑related mineral load risks severe supply gaps for both civilian and military high‑tech programmes.
The Argentina Deal Is the Template of How Deals in the New World Order Will Work
On February 5, the United States and Argentina signed a bilateral agreement that goes beyond tariff cuts to align trade, investment, and national‑security priorities in critical minerals and energy. The pact obliges Argentina to facilitate U.S. investment across the entire...
From Ore to Order: Why Understanding China Is a Precondition for Working in Mining Today
In this episode the host explores Jonathan D. T. Ward’s book *China’s Vision of Victory* and its implications for the mining sector, especially critical minerals like lithium, rare earths, and copper. Ward argues that the Chinese Communist Party’s long‑term goal...
The Mineral Imperative: How and Why China Became a Metals and Minerals Superpower
The episode traces how China transformed from a post‑1949 poverty-stricken nation into the world’s dominant metals and minerals superpower through a deliberate, century‑long strategy that placed mining, processing, and heavy industry at the core of national sovereignty. It outlines three...