The 'critical' resource that Canada doesn’t have enough of
Listen now
Description
Critical minerals are used in the manufacturing of just about all modern technology — including things like solar panels and EV batteries that are key to the global energy transition. But according to our guest, Rebekah Young, the world doesn't currently have enough of these minerals and what we do have is concentrated in just a handful of countries. Rebekah is the Head of Inclusion and Resilience Economics at Scotiabank and recently wrote a report all about this shortage. She’ll give us a critical minerals 101 lesson and outline the challenges Canada and the world will face to meet this new demand.        Key moments this episode:  1:27 — Let’s start with the basics: what are critical minerals?  2:24 — What are critical minerals used for?  3:33 — An eye-opening fact about how many more critical minerals are used to produce an EV compared to a traditional combustion engine vehicle  3:48 — Just how critical critical minerals are when it comes to hitting net zero targets  4:48 — What exactly does it take to get critical minerals out of the ground and into products we use?  6:06 — What kind of critical mineral deposits does Canada have?  7:54 — What is the current demand for critical minerals and what will that look like in the coming years?  11:11 — Why nearshoring may be a solution to Canada’s critical mineral needs in the future  14:26 — The key takeaway for the average Canadian on this issue 
More Episodes
This episode we have a very special guest: award-winning author Michelle Good. Michelle is a writer of Cree ancestry and a member of the Red Pheasant Cree Nation in Saskatchewan. Her books include Five Little Indians and Truth Telling. Her writing takes an unflinching look at our nation’s past...
Published 06/19/24
Published 06/19/24
The Bank of Canada has cut its key interest rate for the first time in more than four years, marking a pivot in its long fight to tamp down inflation. After a quarter-percentage-point cut, the central bank’s benchmark rate now sits at 4.75% — welcome relief for variable-mortgage holders,...
Published 06/05/24