How the US can mine its own critical minerals − without digging new holes

Piles of rare earth oxides praseodymium, cerium, lanthanum, neodymium, samarium and gadolinium. Peggy Greb/USDA-ARS

Every time you use your phone, open your computer or listen to your favorite music on AirPods, you are relying on critical minerals.

These materials are the tiny building blocks powering modern life. From lithium, cobalt, nickel and graphite in batteries to gallium in telecommunication systems that enable constant connectivity, critical minerals act as the essential vitamins of modern technology: small in volume but vital to function.