Irish Examiner view: Climate will suffer for mineral rush

A conveyor belt carries chunks of Raw cobalt after a first transformation at a plant in Lubumbashi, Congo. While cobalt is vital for renewables, it is also in high demand by various militaries, and for similar reasons, given that it can be used in drones and AI-supported equipment. Picture: Samir Tounsi/AFP/Getty

One doesn’t normally think of the military as being on the front line of the climate crisis, but alas, here we are.

We are likely well aware of how various political powers have been scrambling for control of rare earths and other critical minerals — scrambling is a deliberate choice here, given how it recalls European colonisation of Africa for raw materials in the 19th century. Most modern technologies depend on them, with cobalt, for example, being an essential component in batteries for electric vehicles and other renewable energy equipment. These minerals are so important that much of our collective efforts to mitigate climate change are intrinsically bound to them.

However, as one of our letter writers noted, anti-war campaigner Edward Horgan commented last week: The greatest momentum towards such [climate] disaster is the increasing militarisation worldwide. He was writing in the context of European armament and Irish neutrality, but there are examples of how military interests are undermining climate strategies.

While cobalt is vital for renewables, it is also in high demand by various militaries, and for similar reasons, given that it can be used in drones and AI-supported equipment. There is a massive US-EU project under way to mine this and other minerals in Democratic Republic of Congo, but meanwhile the Pentagon has quietly embarked on plans to stockpile some 7,500 tonnes of cobalt for use in its own equipment. That’s enough for 100,000 electric buses, or twice the existing battery capacity in the whole United States.

As it is, America’s Department of War is responsible for most of the US government emissions; so much so, in fact, that it emits more greenhouse gases than many countries.

With such a climate sceptic administration — US secretary of war Pete Hegseth has referred to climate concerns as “crap” — it’s hard to see this position reversing any time soon. As it is, the Pentagon has begun investing in mining companies to secure supplies, even as it warns that climate change will damage its existing bases and operations. One marvels at the irony of how it will end up making things worse.

As a nation facing its own need to increase security and defence spending — the sightings of drones off the Dublin coast and the presence of Russia’s shadow fleet around our island during Zelenskyy’s visit being the most recent examples — we may be relatively small fry in the context of overall spending and stockpiling. But we will nonetheless suffer the consequences of climate change and the actions of other more bellicose powers.

Planet Earth has no favourites among the nations. It would be very on brand for us as a species to take materials that could make things better and use them to make everything considerably worse.

Best gift you can give this year

It’s the time of year for connections and reflections, but there are still a great many causes that could do with a share of our time, however small.

And so it is that the Irish Blood Transfusion Service is appealing especially to younger people to make their first blood donation.

There is always a demand for blood, with the actual stocks only able to be retained for short periods. But while there are a good many people in the country who are able to make donations, the number fluctuates.

As transfusion service chief Orla O’Brien told our Feelgood pages last week: “Every year, around 10,000 donors have to be removed from our panel for various reasons.” That could be their own health concerns, or any other number of personal issues.

The fact remains, though, that the demand is there and those donors need to be replaced annually.

She also noted: “Every week, we need to collect 3,200 units of blood, with two-thirds of all donations needed for patients undergoing cancer treatment.

“Right now, we are running our new ‘Every Drop Counts’ campaign, in partnership with GAA clubs, urging young people to consider donating blood. Starting from a young age helps develop a sense of civic responsibility, knowing your selfless act has helped save or improve someone’s life.

“Just 17% of our donors are aged 18 to 30. We want to grow that figure to meet increasing hospital demands.”

As the population increases, so too does the need for such a vital service. Donors typically receive a text when their blood is used in a hospital — it’s as straightforward a way to potentially save a life and know you’ve done some service.

If there was ever a time to do something for the greater good, surely it’s Christmas.

Jobless youth a concern for all

With a prevailing air of doom and gloom regarding the entry-level jobs market and the relentless march of AI, regardless of its effectiveness, it was somewhat cheering to see the report last week that almost all the country’s 2024 graduates are in employment or further education.

That doesn’t mean that those who are working have found secure, highly-paid jobs, but that’s still a cohort of 77,000 people with a relatively low unemployment rate; and indeed the national unemployment rate slipped below 5% in November, though it is still ahead of where it was in November 2024.

But alongside the graduate and national employment rates, it should be noted that youth unemployment is over 13%, and that’s an age group which may take a hit from any technological changes.

There have been predictions, much of them from vested interests, that AI can or will replace a lot of entry-level jobs in the near future, and already areas such as programming have seen an impact.

Whether that happens, or whether the bubble bursts, remains to be seen, but we cannot afford to rest on our laurels.