Mining expert Ian Lange joins Kate and Aaron to talk about critical minerals and mining in the West. Lange directs the mineral and energy economics program at the Colorado School of Mines and is an expert in mining economics. He discusses what’s going on in the world of critical minerals—specifically those used in electric vehicle batteries. These include cobalt, copper, lithium, and nickel and are mostly mined overseas, but we do have some of them here in the U.S. And we could see a big increase in domestic mining for them thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, which included subsidies aimed at stimulating mining at home. *This episode is the first in a two-part series on mining in the West. The next episode will air in approximately two weeks and feature mining reform advocates. News * Biden bans roads and logging in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest – tongass-national-forest.html">New York Times * Fact-checking 3 claims about the GOP oil bill and White House response – Washington Post * U.S. energy chief says Biden would veto House Republican bill on oil reserve – Reuters * Progress report: President Biden’s second year on public lands – Center for Western Priorities Credits Hosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org Music: Purple Planet Featured image: Ken Lund, Flickr