The ongoing crisis in Ukraine presents another reminder of America’s reliance on problematic sources for essential products and materials. We already are experiencing price hikes stemming from sanctions on many Russian companies and commodities. From passenger airplanes to kitchen appliances, aluminum is one of those foundational industrial materials that a modern society needs to function—in addition […]
Yesterday’s see-no-evil, hear-no-evil strategy of using energy resources from countries with poor environmental standards, weak regulatory oversight and divergent interests and values is hypocritical. Doing so while refusing to optimize our own domestic energy resources during the energy transition is self-defeating; so is refusing to embrace the coming shift away from fossil fuels as our […]
Sean Gallup/Getty Images Russia’s belligerence against Ukraine is underscoring once again the inextricable link between national security and energy security. Today, Russia is flexing its energy dominance over a dependent Europe. But tomorrow, the danger may come from China and its control over the raw materials that are key to a clean energy future. The […]
Towards the end of last year, the Biden administration tapped the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in response to rising gas prices. Whatever the merits of that decision, the existence of the stockpile provides a measure of both market and geopolitical stability. The federal government also maintains, with decidedly mixed success, stockpiles for personal protective equipment (created after 9/11 and […]
If the U.S. is to effectively compete in the de-carbonized world, we must ensure the needed metals come from sources and methods that are as clean and sustainable as possible. That means we cannot exclude supplies of nickel sourced responsibly from within our borders, writes Abigail Wulf, Director of the Center for Critical Minerals Strategy […]
