METALS: Strategy for future

Electric cars, windmills and solar panels are emission-free, but strategic metals to make them such as aluminum, antimony, copper, lead, rare earth metals must be mined and refined, leading to air and water pollution. Rare earth metals are also increasingly needed to fill demand in a wide variety of high-tech equipment. China produces 97 percent of the world’s rare earth metals. The USA used to mine them, but those mines closed — couldn’t compete cost-wise with China.

In the USA, we still mine most strategic metals, but commercial smelters are all shut down because of stringent air and water pollution requirements.

Windmills and solar panels produce electricity without emitting pollutants. However, lack of wind for mills or sunshine for solar panels limits or stops production of electricity. If available, hydroelectric or steam-powered generators can come on-line to prevent a brownout or blackout.

To provide uninterrupted emission-free electricity, storage batteries must be installed close to the windmills and solar panels.

South Australia recently experienced severe brownouts caused by lack of wind or sunshine.

Air and water pollution is a global problem. USA technology enables us to produce metals to build generators, windmills and solar panels with minimum pollution. Third world pollution control is inadequate — mostly because of cost. That leaves us with several choices:

We can mine and refine needed metals and manufacture cars, windmills and solar panels, or import metals from polluting countries that lack modern technology. USA pollution will decrease while worldwide pollution will increase.

ROBERT E. LAUNHARDT

Pinehurst