Friday, April 27th, Anna Creti, Professor at the University Paris-Dauphine and scientific director of the Chair of Climate Economics, was the guest of the show The guest of the morning on France Culture.
“Two weeks ago, a team of Japanese researchers announced that they had discovered deposits in the seabed of Japan representing 16 million tonnes of rare earths, ores used in the digital and energy transition.
Qualified as “21st century oil”, these ores present in minute amounts in the earth’s crust, are new resources today essential to the production of digital objects, such as smartphones or computers, but also used in the manufacture of cars electric, photovoltaic panels or wind turbines, tools necessary for the transition to renewable energies.
However, the exploitation of these rare metals generates high environmental costs and dependence on China, which produces 95% of rare earths and has become a leader in energy transition technologies. “
She was with Guillaume Pitron, a journalist at Le Monde Diplomatique and a documentary film maker.
A french podcast that you can listen below. Enjoy your listening !