Environmental and legal controversies

Rare-earth elements help power our everyday electrical devices, and that’s because most batteries are made with minerals like lithium, nickel, cobalt and graphite. As of now, China has the largest reserve of these minerals. But some mining companies are eyeing the deep sea’s floor, says Marketplace contributor Dan Ackerman, because such rare earths form organically way down there. Plus, the ethical concerns that come with this deep-sea mining.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Companies are betting on deep sea mining for critical minerals” from Marketplace Tech
• “New policies may part the waters for ocean mining” from Marketplace Morning Report
• “In the depths of the ocean, a new contest between the US and China emerges” from The Guardian
• “Trump’s New Executive Order Promotes Deep Sea Mining in US and International Waters While Bypassing International Law” from Inside Climate News