The State of California banned seabed mining on Monday, despite the fact that it provides rare earth minerals that are necessary for “green” technologies like the electric vehicles the state will force all drivers to purchase starting in 2035.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported Tuesday:
Seabed mining, a controversial practice that extracts minerals from the sea floor for use in electric cars, cell phones and clean-energy production, was banned in California waters Monday.
…
While seabed mining does not yet occur within the state waters that extend 3 miles off the coast, opponents say it was important to preemptively protect the 2,500 square-mile area. Demand for the minerals targeted in seabed mining is likely to grow in the coming years, especially with the push for electric cars and clean energy by California and the federal government.
…
The California Seabed Mining Prevention Act, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Monday after it passed unanimously in the legislature, follows the lead of Oregon and Washington. Those states outlawed the practice in 1991 and 2021, respectively.
As the Wall Street Journal noted earlier this year, China has all but cornered the market for rare earth minerals necessary for building the batteries for electric vehicles, meaning that “green” mandates empower America’s major global economic rival.
In recent weeks, California urged owners of electric vehicles not to charge their cars during the afternoon and evening hours during energy shortages, thanks partly to the failure of solar and wind power to make up for fossil fuels and nuclear power.
