Guest Post from David Wojick at CFact. In an earlier article, I pointed out that China has a monopoly on the processed graphite used to make almost all lithium batteries. Now, I am thinking about what might happen if China were to use that monopoly power to impose a graphite embargo on America. If we got into a big flap over Taiwan, for example.
My first thought was that we should just mine it ourselves, but in this case the first thought is wrong. Looked up some old industrial publications. US has some deposits in the Appalachians and Texas, but those mines don't yield the most commercially useful types of graphite. By 1960, long before China conquered us, we had stopped trying to mine it and were importing it from Madagascar and Ceylon.
What is DAPA doing? aren’t they supposed to be looking for useful materials, have a contingency plan? Who does that job? China had control of copper, a few years ago! And everyone scratching their heads! Someone needs to have and oversight committee or something!
My first thought was that we should just mine it ourselves, but in this case the first thought is wrong. Looked up some old industrial publications. US has some deposits in the Appalachians and Texas, but those mines don't yield the most commercially useful types of graphite. By 1960, long before China conquered us, we had stopped trying to mine it and were importing it from Madagascar and Ceylon.
What is DAPA doing? aren’t they supposed to be looking for useful materials, have a contingency plan? Who does that job? China had control of copper, a few years ago! And everyone scratching their heads! Someone needs to have and oversight committee or something!