Looks like the U.S. is finally stirring from its industrial coma and doing something about the problem—though let’s not pop the champagne just yet. The real question isn’t if they’re acting, but when anything meaningful will actually roll off a production line. We’ve spent decades perfecting the art of outsourcing anything messy, toxic, or politically inconvenient to distant lands where child labor and ecological annihilation are politely ignored, just so we can keep sipping our fair-trade lattes guilt-free. Our entire consumption fantasy is built on cheap junk—including minerals—dug out of the earth in places where “environmental regulation” is a punchline. But here’s the twist: there’s untapped opportunity everywhere, if we had the spine to pursue it. Take methane hydrates—yes, those unstable little frozen bombs under the seafloor. They’re nasty to extract, sure, but the muddy byproducts are crawling with critical minerals we actually need. If we’re already disturbing the seabed for energy, why not squeeze a bit more value out of the sludge? Maybe the U.S. can coast a bit longer on its resource cushion, but Europe and East Asia? They’re one supply chain tantrum away from panic mode. Might be time to get a little dirty, on purpose.
https://cowboystatedaily.com/2025/07/11/first-u-s-rare-earth-mine-in-70-years-opens-in-wyoming/