As the world relies increasingly on critical minerals such as cobalt to fuel not just the green revolution but also everyday life, the United States may need to turn to domestic mining to meet its needs.
As the world relies increasingly on critical minerals such as cobalt to fuel not just the green revolution but also everyday life, the United States may need to turn to domestic mining to meet its needs.
Through a series of qualitative interviews, University of Michigan researchers examined how an Idaho community is facing the challenges and opportunities of a proposed cobalt mine. The study, led by then-U-M undergraduate Chava Makman, finds that communities recognize there are no easy answers about when and where to mine.
Makman worked with Brandon Marc Finn, U-M research faculty member at the School for Environment and Sustainability, on the study, which was published in the journal Resources Policy. Together, they sought to explore questions present in the ongoing debate over mining and decarbonization.
Read more at: University of Michigan
This image shows the enormous scale of industrial copper and cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo. (Photo Credit: Brandon Marc Finn, University of Michigan)
