A more sustainable future will rely, at least in part, on lithium-ion batteries. As we ring in 2025, they already power an array of consumer electronics, vehicles, toys, and tools. In addition to lithium, renewable technologies are dependent on mined materials such as silicon, cobalt, manganese, copper, and rare earth elements, including neodymium and praseodymium. Mining companies are aggressively analyzing deposits from Bolivia to the Basin and Range.
Despite increasing demand, mining is facing challenges recruiting workers. That’s “A Major Miner Problem,” as Emily Dieckman details in her feature story. The problem, haunted by mining’s long association with environmental degradation and colonialist legacies, has no simple solutions.
Geoscience remains a crucial part of mining, of course, as research grows increasingly adept at outlining why ore deposits are where they are. “Here’s Why Resolution Copper Wants to Mine Oak Flat” and “Nevada Has Loads of Lithium. Here’s Why” put headline news in such a geologic context. In the future, that context might include melts and magmas, as “Iron-Rich Volcanoes Hold Hidden Rare Earth Element Reserves.”
Finally, long after mining has ceased, the geosciences continue to inform research in affected communities, as demonstrated by this month’s thought-provoking Postcard from the Field.
So brush up on yellow boy, consider how minerals made civilization, and do some hard thinking about soft metals.
—Caryl-Sue Micalizio, Editor in Chief
Correction: On printed copies of the January issue of Eos, the word “asteroid” is misspelled on the cover. We were unable to fix the error in time for publication.