Daniel Franks

Why are minerals, one of the classic elements of nature so key to human existence, missing from the SDGs? Today Julia Keenan, Degol Hailu and I publish an article in @naturesustainab (free access: rdcu.be/cXglF) that attempts to answer this question.

@SMI_UQ Just the metal?

@prpheller @The_SARWatch @SthrnAfrcaTrust @OlangSilas1 Is there a recording? Would love to watch.

What can African countries do to organize strategically and build/take advantage of leverage in global interest in transition minerals? Experience-sharing in Nairobi w/ experts from DRC, Zambia, Namibia, Tanzania & more @ workshop organized by @The_SARWatch @SthrnAfrcaTrust

@fasc1nate Twitter

@mcberkman Michael, I believe that this is actually a poor sustainability outcome. Aggregate will now be trucked from >80km away adding to the emissions intensity of buildings and roads in Brisbane.

@ParbhakarFox That's appalling Anita. I look like a boy and don't even get introduced that way...

My postdoc and I got introduced to other delegates this week as ‘the UQ girls’ . I wonder what age I need to be to qualify as a woman? Would you introduce a 39yr old assoc prof male as boy? 🤷🏽‍♀️#womeninstem

@fleishmanEU @RPerincek @gavan_walsh Take care though because this would go counter to Africa's genuine ambition, that we should support for greater levels of mineral processing and green industrialisation.

🗨️ "Geological realities in the EU constrain any meaningful degree of self-sufficiency. Reducing EU import dependence on refined metals, however, can go some way towards securing supply. Boosting midstream processing activities will be key to achieving this." - @gavan_walsh

The (in)security of #criticalrawmaterials supply casts a shadow over Europe’s energy horizon ⚡, threatening the EU’s ability to implement its ambitious climate and #GreenIndustrialPlan. So how will the EU address such strategic vulnerabilities? – a thread 🧵

@StephenLezak It's easy to say artisanal miners who mine to keep poverty at bay deserve a just transition under a gold phase out, but the reality is that one would be very unlikely. Poverty is a lack of other options. A 'phase out' would likely be militarised, and characterised by misery.

@jumpstart_2U @ProfJoelPearson @ahandvanish Do tell....

@ProfJoelPearson @ahandvanish I became aware I have aphantasia a few years ago, after reading an article about it. It’s still so strange to me that others can pull up images in their minds. I feel cheated! However, I think my strategy for remembering things (that others can just visualize) is very advanced.

The Science says: #Aphantasia is a real thing Low scores of sensory strength Lack of pupil response to bright imagery attempts Lack of skin conductance to emotional imagery attempts Lower scores on a range of questionnaires

@SamSamDorf @ProfJoelPearson That's interesting. I have Aphantasia and my only uncle has a photographic memory. Wonder if there is a link.

@ProfJoelPearson It’s interesting bc my husband and I both have aphantasia and both of our kids have hyper. I always have fomo when it comes to guided meditation. I wish that I could visualize the scenes they describe and I wonder if having aphantasia makes it more difficult to relax.

Attention all those with #aphantasia! What aspect of aphantasia are you most curious about: measurement, daily life impact, cognition, causes or brain differences? Share your thoughts!

@ProfJoelPearson Spatial awareness and childhood learning methods. Got to admit that the combination of being excellent with maps and lousy with spelling is a weird one.

'Development Minerals' feature in Jamaica's new 5-year development plan. caribbeannationalweekly.com/news/caribbean…

Mate, you do know you can charge a battery more than once...

Another dodgy take. All these metals were mined before green energy and continue to be mined for other things, and they nowhere near add up to 98% of mined metals #factcheck

Yeah, nah. This is a dodgy take. Most cobalt is produced as a by-product of copper mining & cobalt is the only one of the metals you have listed that has any significant artisanal mining as part of the supply chain. #factcheck

@cassiajohnson Could it because it chooses sensationalism over understanding?

@cjmsci What is new is that with processing we can now find a market for the bulk of the waste as a construction material in many cases. That is a much different proposition than metal by-products.

@_DanielFranks Then is has to be thought through as a time and time value of money issue. None of these savings are new. The business case for saving storage volume is clear it but still companies won’t make the infrastructure investment. Our earlier conclusion on risk avoidance.

Metals mined for renewable energy will dramatically increase mining wastes. Miners could reduce this waste. If they really wanted to. 🧵

@cjmsci I actually don't think better waste management necessarily means a bigger cost, especially if we are to account for all costs. By-products for example generate revenue, save storage and management (sometimes allowing > production) and reduce environmental and safety liabilities.

@_DanielFranks Designer tailings anyone? I guess it’s all@about the same thing, who pays for what and when? We can pay now and increase the price of metals (and hence energy transition) or pay in the future (an unknown sum with negative consequences).

@cjmsci It would be highly dependent on markets and proximity to market as potentially the majority of waste could be a by-product if we are to include construction materials. Colleagues have done analysis like this for specific sites e.g Mt Isa.

@_DanielFranks Have you analysed the potential business margin (credits) from commodities from the “waste”?

@MorrillJB @UNEPIRP @GlobalDevUQ @sally_innis @fittwittar @actmatthews @anna_littleboy @LNiGhallachoir @jdgeipel @helenmariareid @Patrick45228997 @KamilaSvobodov7

Most of mining's waste (>90%) is actually benign crushed rock, the problem is that after processing toxic metals and acids are left mixed in with the benign waste. It could be separated and used as a construction material when markets are nearby, but only a few companies do this.

@JohnLeePettim13 I've worked nearly 30 years on mining & sustainability. Yes, metal demand for renewables will present huge challenges. But what this thread is not telling you is that there are many solutions to reduce mining waste, what's lacking is any real interest in implementing them.