Policymakers in the United States and worldwide have called for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 to slow the rate of global warming, but the transition to renewable energy and zero-carbon will be metal and mineral intensive. Demand is forecasted to increase by nearly 500% for some of the elements required for renewable energy and energy storage, such as cobalt, gallium, germanium, indium, tellurium, and vanadium. Although new approaches to generate supply of critical minerals are likely to secure resources and economic benefits, they also carry potential for significant environmental and social impacts, unevenly distributed across landscapes and communities. Through convergence among the paradigms of resource efficiency, sustainable development, and environmental justice, our interdisciplinary team is evaluating three scenarios: 1) new mines targeting a critical element as the main commodity; 2) byproduct recovery of critical elements from existing mining operations; and 3) critical element recovery from historic mine wastes. In this talk Dr. Holley will use case studies to describe some of the challenges and opportunities in each of these mineral development scenarios, highlighting the value of collaboration among geoscientists, engineers, and social scientists.

Dr. Elizabeth Holley is a mineral exploration and mining geologist. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mining Engineering at Colorado School of Mines, with a joint appointment in the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering. She is a Fellow of the Payne Institute for Public Policy and was the 2022 Distinguished Lecturer for the Society of Economic Geologists. Dr. Holley has worked in the mining sector on five continents and contributed to the discovery of the White Gold deposit in the Yukon. She recently finished an NSF Career project on Carlin type gold, and an NSF PIRE project on artisanal mining in Latin America. Dr. Holley leads the Responsible Critical Minerals Initiative funded by the National Science Foundation and serves as a site director for the NSF-funded CASERM center.