Critical mineral supply concerns the identification, extraction, processing, and recycling of materials essential for energy, defense, and high‑technology systems, with particular emphasis on rare earth elements, uranium, lithium, graphite, and related metals. The field examines geological resources, waste and urban mining pathways, nuclear fuel cycle by‑products, and advanced materials development alongside geopolitical dependencies, trade controls, and national strategies. It also addresses supply‑chain vulnerabilities and sustainability constraints that influence low‑carbon energy transitions and long‑term resource security.
Engineering
There is a new, U.S.-based, environmentally friendly method for mining rare-earth elements used in consumer electronics, clean energy, defense and biomedical imaging. By using oxalic acid made by sugar-eating engineered yeast, ...
9 hours ago
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Business
New research suggests that concerns about relying too heavily on Chinese manufacturing are shaping climate policy—and could even delay the adoption of green technologies around the world. The study by Dr. James Jackson ...
Mar 12, 2026
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Energy & Green Tech
ANSTO has made progress on a more cost-effective way to produce the medical radioisotope molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), with less enrichment of uranium-235 (U-235) and producing less waste. ANSTO supplies the Australian medical community ...
Feb 25, 2026
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Business
Inside America's junk drawers sits an untapped fortune, and a national and economic security solution. As the global race for critical minerals intensifies, University of Houston researchers have unveiled a breakthrough supply ...
Feb 24, 2026
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Energy & Green Tech
Small, possibly portable, nuclear reactors that can't melt down are moving toward reality in the United States, with what may be the first two coming online or beginning construction this year.
Feb 18, 2026
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Energy & Green Tech
Hundreds of discarded batteries rattle along a conveyor belt into a crusher in a remote plant in northern India, fueling a multi-billion-dollar industry that is bolstering the country's geopolitical ambitions.
Feb 18, 2026
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Energy & Green Tech
Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory are breathing new life into the scientific understanding of neptunium, a unique, radioactive, metallic element—and a key precursor for production of ...
Feb 3, 2026
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Business
A solar energy generation technology once considered limited in its potential is poised for significant growth in the United States.
Jan 22, 2026
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Energy & Green Tech
Across Appalachia, rust-colored water seeps from abandoned coal mines, staining rocks orange and coating stream beds with metals. These acidic discharges, known as acid mine drainage, are among the region's most persistent ...
Jan 21, 2026
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Energy & Green Tech
Greenland's harsh environment, lack of key infrastructure and difficult geology have so far prevented anyone from building a mine to extract the sought-after rare earth elements that many high-tech products require. Even ...
Jan 11, 2026
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