First Come, First Served!

“Lithium and rare earths will soon be more important than oil and gas. Our demand for rare earths alone will increase fivefold by 2030. […] We must avoid becoming dependent again, as we did with oil and gas. […] We will identify strategic projects all along the supply chain, from extraction to refining, from processing to recycling. And we will build up strategic reserves where supply is at risk. This is why today I am announcing a European Critical Raw Materials Act.”- Ursula von der Leyen.

Historians describe the period 1500 AD-1945 AD as “Modern History”. Modern history witnessed significant human inventions and rapid advancements in industrial development. The resource-rich “empires” flourished in the modern era, and the quest for minerals and precious metals led Europe to colonize the whole world, making Europe the powerhouse of modern history. As the modern era ended (1945 AD), Europe lost its sheen and the world’s new superpower, the “USA”, took centre stage.

As oil became the …