Critical Minerals

What are critical minerals? How do they play into our lifestyle choices?

ROM’s latest gallery installation shines a light on critical minerals and goals for a “net zero” society. The minerals in this case are identified as critical because they are essential to economic and national security, especially in supporting the transition to a net zero society. Toronto, Canada (and the world) is pursuing this major climate goal, where our actions no longer result in a net increase of atmospheric greenhouse gases.

From the Province of Ontario’s elimination of coal-fueled electricity in 2014, to planting native species in our gardens, mitigation and adaptation actions can go hand-in-hand to reduce greenhouse gases, decrease demand for resource extraction, and lessen impacts on our societies as we transition to a net zero world.

Critical minerals – the emerging story

Today, critical minerals are an important global topic as countries worldwide focus on both a net zero transition and future mineral demands for emerging and growing technologies. These critical minerals are recognized as essential to our progression towards net zero; however, the gap between supply and demand is increasing under growing technological demands. While a shift to renewable energy sources will lead to a global decrease in resource extraction, the impacts will affect different communities in different ways, including economically, socially, and environmentally. Which leads to critical choices.

Critical choices – critical awareness

A net zero society requires critical choice – the goal is not to restrict, but to maximize the lifestyle options of its citizens, allowing people to choose net zero lifestyles that have a minimum impact on our environment – and pocket.

Whether one drives an electric vehicle and lives in a single-family suburban house (surrounded by native plants) or takes the subway and lives in a multiple-family building, each choice we make affects our societal demand for critical minerals. A net zero society is ultimately an expansion of lifestyle choices (giving more options for residences, transit, etc.) rather than a restriction of options.

Canada’s critical minerals – a sampling

To learn more, visit the installation and take a moment to learn about six of Canada’s priority critical minerals – cobalt, nickel, copper, graphite, lithium, and Rare Earth Elements (REEs) – and see how they are used in our everyday world.