Minerals, Metals & Mining -- Forum Explains Why These are a Big Deal

June 19, 2025--Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--In a recent forum at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, entitled "Minerals, Metals and Mining -- What the Public Needs to Know," various experts in the field talked about how these topics impact, well, lots of things. The discussions covered how rare earths and critical minerals have become a major focus in the trade talks between the U.S. and China, the "death" of the mining industry in the U.S. and ways to revive it, and the promise of deep sea mining, among other issues. Dr. Michelle Foss of the Baker Center for Energy Studies kicked off the June 5 discussion by setting the scene. She noted that the current list of critical minerals includes about 50 items.