{
  "id": 3783875,
  "title": "‘Devastating’ rush for critical minerals has little to do with green energy: Report",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/devastating-rush-for-critical-minerals-has-little-to-do-with-green",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-27T17:14:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mongabay",
    "slug": "mongabay",
    "url": "https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/devastating-rush-for-critical-minerals-has-little-to-do-with-green-energy-report/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A report by U.S.-based think tank the Oakland Institute reveals that the worldwide rush for critical minerals has disastrous global repercussions beyond the green energy sector. The report, titled \"RUSH: Global Scramble for Minerals Wages War on People and Planet,\" disputes the widely-held belief that increased mining is essential for the clean energy transition. Frederic Mousseau, a policy director at the Oakland Institute, stated that the surge in resource extraction has already caused widespread environmental devastation in various parts of the world. He also warned that the anticipated expansion of mining to fulfill anticipated mineral demands would exacerbate the situation. The demand for critical minerals is expected to surge substantially over the next two to three decades. From 2000 to 2024, nickel production rose by 187%, rare earth extraction increased by 329%, and lithium production surged by 1,602%. Projections by the International Energy Agency predict that the demand for six essential minerals — copper, graphite, lithium, cobalt, rare earth elements, and nickel — will further escalate in the years to come, with global demand for these minerals doubling by 2040. According to the Oakland Institute's analysis, however, the bulk of the critical minerals generated are utilized in industries that are not connected to the green energy transition. Renewable energy infrastructure such as solar, wind, and battery storage accounts for around one-fifth of the demand, whereas defense and aerospace, conventional transportation, AI data centers, and construction comprise the rest. In Africa, where numerous critical minerals are sourced, the situation is of particular concern.",
  "summary": "A new report published by U.S.-based think tank the Oakland Institute warns that the rush for critical minerals comes with massive implications for the world, especially African countries. The report, “RUSH: Global Scramble for Minerals Wages War on People and Planet,” challenges the popular narrative that an expansion of mining operations is necessary for the […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}