![]() ![]() Ned Mamula, Ph.D., is a geologist and adjunct scholar in Geosciences at the Center for the Study of Science, Cato Institute. Opponents of mining might chafe at the old saying “if it can’t be grown it has to be mined.” But it is absolutely true. Simply stated, we need to use the Mining Law as it is now written to reduce burgeoning imports and restart a program of strong domestic exploration and mining. The economic health and national security of our nation now depend in large part on increasing hardrock mining, to increase our domestic critical minerals supplies - to reduce our troubling and growing reliance on China, Russia and third world dictatorships, many of which are allied with or dependent on China and Russia. Indeed, our nation “boasts” a growing list of groups that are openly hostile to extractive industries, especially mining. Over the past 50 years, the United States has ignored and even shunned the importance of its mineral wealth like no other country in the industrial world.Īustralia, Canada, Sweden, Russia, China and most other industrialized economies value their mineral resources and use them to their defense and economic benefit, and even for geopolitical advantage. ![]()
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