Critical & Rare Earth Minerals: Their Importance to Society & a Low-Carbon Future

What are critical and rare earth minerals? Where can they be found around the globe, and what are the political implications of their prime locations, such as Greenland and China? Why are these minerals so important for our lives today and for our low-carbon future? What is the nature of Maine’s deposits of these minerals, and what are the controversies that surround their potential for mining? Geologist John Slack will discuss these contemporary, vital issues and more.

John Slack is a retired geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, where he worked for 40 years in Reston, Virginia, and two years in Menlo Park, California. He holds a Ph.D. in Economic Geology from Stanford University (1976) and serves on the editorial boards of three scientific journals. He has over 400 publications on mineral deposits and mineral resources, based on his field work in many parts of the US (New England, Alaska, Rocky Mountains), Canada, Norway, Australia, and other countries. Over the past decade, John’s research has focused on critical and rare earth minerals, especially in Maine. He lives in Farmington and Rangeley.