Dean Slocum and Chris Anderson of Acorn International on artisanal miners, China in Africa, the NGO-industrial complex, Juukan Gorge and mining’s changing guard.
Iron ore’s whitenuckle descent took a chunk out of the MINING.COM TOP 50 ranking of the world’s most valuable miners amid a continuing rally in uranium, coal and lithium prices.
Demand for the material used in electric cars and renewable-energy storage has soared and, while miners are seeking to boost supply, there’s not enough to meet consumption.