The US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) promises $369 billion for climate and clean energy policies, but also sets the untenable task of extracting and processing key battery minerals locally. “Locally” being the operative word here. The bill says that at least 2/5 of the critical minerals used in electric vehicle batteries should be extracted and processed locally in the U.S. or with a free trade agreement (FTA) partner, or recycled in North America.

To date, no one in the U.S. is recycling these minerals in any quantity that would be quantifiable in any way (nor is anyone planning to), so we can simply drop the idea of recycling from the equation (and from this post).

An EV battery is typically made of nickel, cobalt and manganese (the three main elements of the cathode), graphite (for the anode), lithium and copper. The mining and refinement of these six minerals is controlled predominantly by China. Under the IRA, any EVs made after 2025 that contain ANY materials coming from China will be excluded from federal tax credits.

At bare minimum, the top three required minerals for “clean energy technology” are Lithium, Cobalt and Nickel. The demand for these materials will go from 7 million tons per year (today) to 42 million tons per year by 2040 – add Copper, Graphite and Manganese to the equation and it’s very simple to see the task is not possible.

Australia, Chile, and China produce the world’s lithium supply
Congo produces about 1/2 the world’s Cobalt supply
Indonesia produces about 1/3 of the worlds nickel (most of it for stainless steel – about 6% for batteries)
If you add to this that Chinese state-owned firms own (throughout the world) about 80 percent of global cobalt refining operations and more than 90 percent of refineries that produce nickel, manganese and graphite – it really makes you wonder if any actual thought went into the IRA at all. It’s very apparent that no thought went into the last 50 years as we allowed this to happen.

S&P Global says that even if every lithium project around the world came online by 2030 there is still going to be a minimum 220,000 ton shortage versus demand in 2030 – possibly as much as 2 million tons short per year. The cobalt shortage will begin in 2024. These mineral shortages will actually effect the economy in various ways. Of course, no one mentions that these are finite materials – what happens when we run out?

According to Benchmark analysts, unless 384 new mines are up and running in the next ten years, the EV transition will be “indefinitely transitional”. The world will have to open AT MINIMUM:
74 lithium mines,
62 cobalt mines,
72 nickel mines,
97 natural graphite mines and
54 synthetic graphite plants.

Just to give you an idea of where the U.S. stands today, there is ONE EV battery-grade cobalt mine in the U.S. (it is in Idaho) and one lithium mine in the U.S. (it is in Nevada).

Was there any calculation on how much the existing mines could produce? Was there any calculation on how much planned (on the drawing board to open in the near future) mines could produce? Was there any calculation on anything other than the tabulation of votes to pass something that looks and feels good to the press and public…?

I would assume that our representatives are given material to read before they vote on a subject. I often wonder if they read the material or simply vote how they’re told to vote. If they did read it, I wonder if they understand it. Do they question it? Do they try to find the answers to the questions they have before they vote?

There is not enough thought, planning, time, resources or money to phase out fossil fuels and open up the 359+ mines needed to fulfill the “climate agenda” by projected target dates (if ever). It takes a bit of time to find where to mine the minerals, a few years to get the right people into office so you can bribe them to bypass the legalities of destroying that particular local watershed and around 7 years to build a mine and refining plant – so each mine will take about 10 years to get up and running from the date of someone gathering the funds for one.

Either no one did the math on this or it is simply put in place to redirect our attention away from something else (until everyone realizes it is untenable).

There is no way in hell Americans are going to allow their local ecosystems to be stripped away, allow more species dependent on these ecosystems to disappear, allow our water supply to become even more contaminated and allow our sacred indigenous lands pilfered – long story short, this will kill our food supply. Mining for rare earth minerals generates large volumes of toxic and radioactive material. The transition to climate neutrality cannot mean leaving large tracts of the earth uninhabitable. Environmentally, everything depends on everything else. To put it simply, Big things eat little things and so on and so on and so on down the food chain – and everything needs clean water…

When I was a kid, it was all about the trees. Trees take in CO2 and breathe out Oxygen. For 50+ years we simply couldn’t regulate this. For 50+ years we couldn’t bribe these folks into doing the right thing. For 50+ years we never came up with a plan to use other materials for home construction, retrain workers how to use these materials and rework our county systems to allow for such construction.

How about a simply rule: Every tree you cut down has to be replaced and tended to maturity.

How much would it cost to pay people to plant trees and grow their own gardens? How much would it cost to bribe people and companies to stop cutting down trees for construction? How much would it cost to retrain them? How much would it cost to bribe our construction industry into using materials other than wood? I’m sure it’s a hell of a lot less than it would be to bribe ALL industry and local government into trashing our environment (and the coming “sad attempt” of cleaning THAT up after they do their thing) – does it really make sense trashing the environment to save it?

When the cure is worse than the disease where do you go from there?

I am absolutely positive that if you directed $369 billion dollars to planting trees and gardens and using something other than wood to build houses, it would get done – not only that, it would save our environment and our economy at the same time…

Here’s some simple math for you. If we directed $369 billion dollars to the above paragraph we could pay the following people for the next ten years:
We could pay 100,000 people a salary of $184,500 for ten years to do nothing but plant and tend to trees, gardens and crops
AND
We could pay 1,000 companies $1,845,000 for ten years to support the individuals planting and tending (with seed, tools, machinery, etc)
AND
We could pay 2,000 companies $1,845,000 for ten years to produce the wood replacement for home building
AND
We could pay 3,000 companies $1,845,000 for ten years to retrain construction workers on how to build with the new materials
AND
We could pay 4,000 companies $1,845,000 for ten years to stop cutting down tress for construction and to replant what they have cleared

As I write this, I think about earthbag homes. Look them up – I don’t want this post to go too off topic, so take the time to look up earthbag homes/barns/sheds/domes…

Guillaume Pitron wrote in his book “The Rare Metals War” that over the next three decades “we will need to mine more mineral ores than humans have extracted over the last 70,000 years”. This cannot end up costing the Earth. China established its dominance over the rare earths industry because of lax environmental regulations and a cheap workforce. It has paid a high price. Today, 10% of its arable land is contaminated by heavy metals, and 80% of its groundwater isn’t fit for consumption.

Do we really want to go there…? Does anyone…?

Here’s the thing. “The few” run the media. In doing so, they can present to you anything they want and they know you well enough to know how to sell it to you – via your interaction with social media, the cloud and the apps on your phones.

As such, “the few” have always attempted to make you believe that their agenda, beliefs or norms are the majority agenda, beliefs or norms… Non-stop… 24/7… and, like I said above, they are getting really good at it…

Turns out, they are not telling you the truth…

Turns out smoking is bad for you… Took 50 years for them to finally tell you the truth, but, oh yeah, smoking is BAD for you regardless of what the surgeon general said…

Turns out eggs are good for you… Took 10 years for them to finally tell you the truth about this one too…

Turns out that groups who often say to others “diversity is our strength” aren’t diverse at all…

Turns out the America government no longer regulates corporate America, they now subsidizes corporate America (calling it “investment”) – bailing out Fannie May, Freddie Mac, the banking industry and the auto industry was simply corporate welfare designed to bypass the free market – none of those companies did what they were suppose to do with the money – the real kicker, our tax dollars paid for it…

Turns out “American Oppression” is a myth. Do you see a mass of folks leaving…? No, they’re still trying to get here… The only actual oppression is the oppression of the Native population, who actually have no where to go…

Turns out NOTHING is secure online – never has been, since day one – keep your data, your feelings, your thoughts and your wants/needs offline…

Turns out that algorithms can perpetuate your existing prejudices so well, and feed you exactly what you want to see in the way you want to see it, that social media is more addicting than cigarettes or alcohol…

Turns out Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok and the rest of the social media platforms “own” your online existence and you have no control over it. You feed the algorithms every moment you interact with the algorithms with no say in how many, or which, servers your data is being stored on, or sold to. You do not own your information, they do…

Turns out the COVID-19 vaccine will kill and disable more people than the disease itself…

Turns out there’s not enough Lithium, Graphite, Nickel, Manganese, Copper or Cobalt in the world to produce the products needed for the new climate agenda – and, to make the issue more “fun”, China controls the mining and refinement of these minerals. 80% of the worlds cobalt, 90% of the worlds nickel, manganese and graphite refinement, 80% of the worlds tungsten supply – the list goes on…

Turns out America doesn’t produce any Titanium – Russia and China do – we are dependent on other countries for this metal which is vitally important to our aerospace, medical and defense sectors…

Turns out that mining for rare earth minerals generates extreme volumes of toxic and radioactive materials – Americans don’t want the reality of the mining and refining in their streams, rivers, upwind or backyards anymore – 10% of China’s arable land and 80% of it’s ground water isn’t fit for consumption – Americans would not put up with this…

Turns out the “Inflation Reduction Act” is simply corporate welfare designed to bypass the free market. The American government no longer has the juice to regulate corporate America so they have to attempt to bribe them into doing “the right thing”. Corporate America will take the money and not tell anyone publicly that it’s simply not possible to do what the government is asking them to do…

The truth will always out – they can try all they want, but it will always come out… In many cases it comes out years after the folks who began the initial media blast have earned their money and died – but it does come out eventually…

“Everyone” is so stunned when so and so wins this governorship or that Senate run because “the few” have been spouting the opposite for months in the hopes it will drive the majority away from the polls…

“Everyone” is so stunned when Congress passes this or that because the only mouth pieces being heard for months are those telling everyone it should, or shouldn’t, be done…

It doesn’t matter that the majority wants this or that… “The few” are presenting their views as the majority views to keep the majority silent, baffled and afraid to speak up… They want the majority to believe that they are in the minority… That is the game – always has been…

“The few” have the majority scared to death of offending – “the few” have the loudest microphone – “the few” are the only ones with a YouTube channel – “the few” are the only ones posting on social media…

There’s two things “the few” fear most: the free market and democracy. They will take your tax dollars and assure that companies and groups that the free market deems unnecessary will not be killed by the free market. They will use all their media prowess to keep you from going to the polls to assure the individual they wish to have in office wins…

I have two groups of friends in Ukraine at the moment. One is a church group and one is there to assess the situation.
The church group is surrounded by folks who have to drink and pass out “the cool-aid” or they will be disposed of the moment they present anything other than the “Ukrainian Experience” that the Western Press wants to present. The Church group is being led around like a tour group at a Hollywood set with sound effects and all in the background.
The other group of folks have spent time with the Ukrainian forces and the Donetsk and Luhansk freedom fighters. On the ground, they have seen Russians providing logistics, medical care, weapons/ammunition and food but nothing more (in other words, Russians are not fighting, they are supporting).
“The few” will be more than happy to print everything one group has to say and what the other group assesses will never be known…

“The few” will only present what they want you to believe as the only fact, the only truth and the only way “forward”… They will not present both sides of a story anymore – you either believe what they say without question or you are a zealot…

They throw around words such as “insurrection“ and “terrorist” to the point that any group of people can be under scrutiny – for nothing… It’s beyond ridiculous… Those words have lost their meaning… Any person standing up for their rights can now be called a terrorist and any act they do to proclaim their rights (such as marching to city hall) can be labeled as an insurrection – “the few” get to make their own rules as far as the labeling goes…

I hope there’s a way out of this without a civil war, but I just don’t see it getting any better. The average democracy lives 300 years – give or take 50 years – we’re coming up on that quickly… I hope I’m wrong because China is just sitting in the wings waiting to take advantage of something like that…

“The few” plan. The majority react. This has to change. The one thing I learned again and again as a PM/TD is that being proactive will get you 10 times farther in life than being reactive. Three is one, two is none…

Ever hear someone say “I fear no man” – sure they do. If someone is holding a gun to their mother, wife or kid…? Stupid thing to say…

When you tell a smoker that smoking will kill them someday and they say “I’m not gonna live in fear” – they are living in fear:  fear of their life without cigarettes and all that entails for them…

When you tell an alcoholic (or drug addict) they are killing themselves, or may kill someone else, and they respond “I’m not gonna live in fear” – they are living in fear:  fear of withdrawals, fear of the urge not being fulfilled, etc…. What they are saying is “I don’t care, I have a hunger and I’m gonna fill it”…

Totally off topic, but when I was in college I totally got a kick out of the tree huggers who smoked non-filtered cigarettes and drove beater-gas-guzzling cars – it was the funniest thing in the world to me…

There are certain things in life that are oxymoronic.  Usually, when someone responds to something with “I’m not gonna live in fear”, they essentially mean they want to live in willful-blissful ignorance because they live in fear of losing what they have and/or hunger for.

When you tell someone they should consider moving because where they live may not be safe in the here and now and definitely isn’t a conducive environment for their children’s future and they say “I’m not going to live in fear” – they are living in fear.  They are living in fear of leaving their comfort zone – personal history, friends, family, church, etc.  They are living in fear of losing their income.  They are living in fear of losing their home.  They are living in fear of finding an income, home and comfort zone “over there”.

It’s the very definition of “Willful Ignorance”

When someone says “I’m not going to live in fear” they are simply saying “I’m not going to give up my things.  I’m not going to give up my income.  I’m not going to give up my comfort zone.  I’m not going to give up my history.  I fear my life without them.”  It’s completely about pride and control.

WWJD…?  Better yet – what would He have YOU do if you asked Him…?  Pray On It.

The only person who lives without fear is the person who does not fear death – the person who is willing to give it all up right here, right now – the person who literally believes there’s a place better than this one and looks forward to being there as quickly as possible…

I spent the last month updating links and other parts of this website – so I apologize for not posting lately. The updates from the last week may be something you would appreciate reading however, so:
Catchin’ Up?
Home Admins
and
New Amendments

I’ll post something soon – hey, email me and let me know if you would like something consistent… Like a post every monday with links every friday or something like that…

The Supreme Court did not say abortion was illegal – they simply said that they (The U.S. Supreme Court) had no business regulating it. It is not mentioned in the Constitution and never was. The Supreme Court does not amend nor enforce the Constitution – they simply interpret it and how it applies to the case before them…

I keep hearing/reading that they have taken away a constitutional right. They have not. Only Congress can create or negate a constitutional right – read the damn Constitution! I guess they don’t go over it anymore in High School Civics classes…?

If it would have been an Amendment to the Constitution then it would have been the law of the land. It’s the job of Congress to amend the Constitution. Congress had 50 years to legally secure it as a right by amending the Constitution – they didn’t. 50 years – they didn’t touch it… They simply sat on it hoping another case wouldn’t come along to challenge the validity of the original decision… Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was such a case…

So as the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution says – “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people” – the subject is a state issue, not federal…

The largest immediate hypocrisy we are going to see is states who create laws which allow freedom of choice for abortions but no freedom of choice for the jab. The hypocrisy of those who are fine with exterminating a viable defenseless human inside the womb yet will go above and beyond defending/protecting an animal or criminal who attacks or kills another viable human outside the womb. The masses bloviating about rights and freedoms who have never once voted. Hypocrisy… Incompatible Ideologies… False Virtue… Each individual state WILL pick and choose which “freedoms” and “right to privacy” you have to “choose” from…

“MY BODY, MY CHOICE” has been the mantra for 50 years. It’s been used for all types of campaigns – even other countries have made use of it. We, in America, can no longer assume we have freedom of choice… FOR ANYTHING…

It’s done – it was inevitable – now what…?

I’m no longer talking about abortion at this point.

Each state will do what they should do – govern – and it will be up to all of us to move to a location in which we mostly agree with the laws and established “freedoms” within… or take the time to attempt to change the laws where we live now…

“My Body, My Choice” was never a Constitutional Right (again, only Congress can create or negate a Constitutional Right), but it was a solid assumption based on precedent based on a judicial decree – now, it’s just a slogan based on a negated judicial decree…
Holding up the sign at an anti-jab rally just isn’t gonna make the same impression as it did yesterday…

Remember, I’m no longer talking about abortion at this point.

Freedom to choose whether or not you want the jab
Freedom to choose whether or not you can obtain, or refuse, ANY medical procedure
A doctors freedom to choose whether or not he/she can perform a medical procedure
Freedom to choose several things for your children

All “freedom of choice” arguments not associated with First Amendment Religious Freedoms are deeply associated with the “My Body, My Choice” argument…

Your “freedom of choice” now depends on where you are as you read this – what are the laws in your city, county or state? If you wanted to change the laws, how hard would it be? How long would it take? What would YOU have to do? Are you a lone conservative surrounded by liberals? Are you a lone liberal surrounded by conservatives?

Every state is different – each county within each state is different – you need to know the differences!

According to your city, county or state charter/constitution – who has more “juice”? The legislature or the executive? Who are these people? Do they agree with you on the issues? Do the voters in the area agree with them?

Always go with a strong legislature who carries the same ideology as you – preferably a two-thirds majority to over-ride any potential veto from the executive. Legislatures make laws, laws are hard to overturn because it takes longer to get a group of folks to modify or negate (for several reasons). Executives can only make mandates (or executive orders) and those can be quickly overturned by legislation, the judiciary or the next individual to hold that particular executive office. The only durable power an executive has (in most city, county and state scenarios) is the veto of (potential) legislation that crosses his/her desk…

You will continue to read, watch and hear that the majority wants this or that according to “such and such” survey or poll. Really…? Is that really the case in your area…? Local politics in the U.S. is representative of the local population – if the majority of voters in this city, county or state wanted this or that then they DO vote people into office to make this or that happen. It really is as simple as that. Have they done it yet…? Are you aware of the real needs and wants of the voters in your area…? Look at the people they voted into office past and present – it’ll give you a good idea…

If you live in an area in which the local politics and laws have always left your stomach churning then maybe it’s time to move on… Moving somewhere that has a historical pattern of supporting your personal beliefs or principles will be much more agreeable to your psychological and physical health… Then again, some of us just want the fight… Some people crave the potential martyrdom as well… Hey, we need those folks too! They’re stories raise awareness to things we may have never considered!

Many are upset because it now requires them to actually do something… They actually have to get off their ass and out of their little bubble and do something… Most people don’t even vote, so getting them to actually do something other than simply sit there and complain is a lot!

I’m hoping that this political climate will force many to consider their local politics head on. Force everyone to dig into their local statutes, read them, understand them, consult a lawyer for assurance and decide whether or not THIS is somewhere they want to live. Most will do nothing but complain, a few will try to change things locally and many will move to a state which already supports their values.

In any case, you can’t just be an “armchair quarterback” and “hope” for change… You can’t just sit there watching the news or waste away reading about it on social media – if you want change, you have to do something outside your comfort zone… NOW

If you don’t have kids, you probably have no concept of what I’m saying. For those of you who do, is this the world you want to leave them…? Is this the State, County, City or Political Atmosphere you want them growing up in…? Raising your grandchildren in…?

How free do you think they’ll be in your present location 20-40 years from now…? Will the occupation they have always longed for even be available locally by the time they finish their schooling…? What bits of freedom will they have to surrender to complete their schooling…? What bits of freedom will they have to concede to get that first job…?

Some people want things to happen; some make things happen; most wonder what happened – which are you…? Which do you want to be…?

First thing first: FIX THE PROBLEM, NOT THE BLAME

Whatever you find the problem to be today…

Trying to fix the blame is nothing but a waste of time and money – in the meantime the problem gets bigger, grows more tentacles and becomes harder to fix…

I wrote something related to this in August 2020:
After a ton of research – what I found…
and another one about SCOTUS the past January:
SCOTUS v MANDATES

We all must cultivate the Capacity to find the Truth (not our own truth – the actual truth), the Integrity to tell it (no matter how much it hurts), the Presence to make people listen and the Character to do something about it (even if it means suddenly moving to where the action is) – no matter the consequences…