The plunder ing of Greenland

Trump's going on about taking over Greenland again - did same in his first term. Why? I think I know ...

Why Donald Trump wants to buy Greenland: the hunt for elements to undermine China (2019)

They are 17 in number and between them are becoming the driving force for the 21st century. Their names are unfamiliar but they power most of our household technology.

Nicknamed the “vitamins of modern life”, these rare earth elements possess unique magnetic and lighting properties that are central to the production of civilian and military technology.

Now, as the trade war with China heats up, the US faces being cut off from the supply of natural resources crucial to the trappings of modern life: rechargeable batteries, smartphones, missile guidance systems, electric cars and more.

Hence President Trump’s interest in Greenland, which is estimated to hold a quarter of the world’s known reserves of the elements, with names such as scandium, yttrium and neodymium. As things stand, China enjoys an almost total global monopoly ...

And then there's the fact that Grreenland is quite large, and given the climate change ice melt, more and more of it is becoming useable.

Hope Trump doesn't get Greenland. This beautiful place has been plundered enough over the centuries, and it's only getting worse ...

‘You can't live in a museum’: the battle for Greenland's uranium

Greenland faces one of history’s great resource rushes—and curses