I’m rather surprised that the big wigs at the Associated Press allowed this to be published
‘The Sacrifice Zone’: Myanmar bears cost of green energy
The birds no longer sing. The fish no longer swim in rivers that have turned a murky brown. The animals do not roam, and the cows are sometimes found dead.
The people in this northern Myanmar forest have lost a way of life that goes back generations. But if they complain, they, too, face the threat of death.
This forest is the source of several key metallic elements known as rare earths, often called the vitamins of the modern world. Rare earths now reach into the lives of almost everyone on the planet, turning up in everything from hard drives and cellphones to elevators and trains. They are especially vital to the fast-growing field of green energy, feeding wind turbines and Tesla engines. And they end up in the supply chains of some of the most prominent companies in the world, including General Motors, Volkswagen, Mercedes, Tesla and Apple.
But an AP investigation has found that their universal use hides a dirty open secret in the industry: Their cost is environmental destruction, the theft of land from villagers and the funneling of money to brutal militias, including at least one linked to Myanmar’s secretive military government. And as demand soars for rare earths along with green energy, the abuses are likely to grow.
“This rapid push to build out mining capacity is being justified in the name of climate change,” said Julie Michelle Klinger, author of the book “Rare Earths Frontiers,” who is leading a federal project to trace illicit energy minerals. “There’s still this push to find the right place to mine them, which is a place that is out of sight and out of mind.”
But, hey, it’s over there in the 3rd World, which means the 1st World elitist climate cultists do not have to see what their beliefs are causing. Most companies did not respond to the APs questions. Better
The State Department, which leads work on securing the U.S. rare earths supply, did not respond to repeated requests for comment. But experts say the government weighs the regulation of rare earths against other green goals, such as the sales and use of electric vehicles. Rare earths are also omitted from the European Union’s 2021 regulation on conflict minerals.
Yeah, so the State Department is blowing smoke and providing cover all in the name of the Climate Cult.
There is a name for what Myanmar has become: A “sacrifice zone,” or a place that destroys itself for the good of the world.
Good job, Warmists
Militias are rampant in these northern forest frontier areas, including at least one tied to the military-backed Border Guard Force. The Myanmar military or Tatmadaw is under international sanctions for human rights abuses after it seized power last year. That means the rare earths money it gets from the militia may be fueling a violent crackdown against civilians. The Myanmar military and militia leaders did not respond to requests for comment.
Hey, there has to be some sacrifice for the green agenda, right?
Read: Good News: Myanmar Bears Cost For Elites Green Agenda »