Post #3982141
2026-07-21 08:19 UTC
4/n
From page 15 of https://www.oaklandinstitute.org/sites/default/files/2026-07/rush-global-scramble.pdf [pdf]
“Though the military accounts for a relatively modest share of total use for most critical minerals (below 10%), it is their application in weapon technologies that grants them the ‘critical’ designation, making their control a strategic priority for governments.”
Replies (1)
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@urlyman@mastodon.social 2026-07-21 08:24
5/n From page 16: The “AI boom depends on copper and lesser-known elements such as gallium, germanium, indium, palladium, tungsten, magnesium and tantalum, essential for the high-performance chips used in data centers. By 2030, data centers will require an additional 512,000 tons of copper, contributing to global supply shortfalls according to the IEA forecasts. AI-specific needs will increase germanium and gallium demand respectively by 37% and 85% by 2033.”