Episode 19: Mining the Future: Rare Earths, Critical Minerals & Geopolitics

In this episode, Kate Foronda explores the minerals that quietly power our world from lithium and cobalt to aluminium and rare earth elements. These resources drive electric vehicles, renewable energy, and artificial intelligence, but they also carry enormous environmental, social, and geopolitical costs. Kate shares insights from her travels across Chile, where she saw how mining has shaped communities from the oil fields of the south to the lithium basins of the north. She unpacks how the demand for critical minerals is transforming trade routes, global alliances, and environmental policies. The episode examines who controls the supply chains, why global finance is investing heavily in mineral extraction, and how countries like China, Australia, and Chile dominate this new strategic race. Kate also looks at the risks — from water depletion in South America to labor issues in Africa — and asks whether technology, especially artificial intelligence, can help manage environmental damage or simply make extraction faster and more efficient. “Mining the Future” is a reflection on power, sustainability, and accountability in the age of electrification. Now available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms. @ Katsiaryna "Kate" Foronda foronda.us #CrudeRealities #CircusAndCircuit #KateForonda #GlobalTrade #OilandGas #EnergyTransition #Geopolitics #OPECPlus #EnergyPolicy #Commodities #Sustainability #SupplyChain #ClimateWeek2025 Tune in now to discover what’s ahead in the Circus & Circuit of global trade!