SOROWAKO, SOUTH SULAWESI, INDONESIA – 2019/03/28: Nickel ore seen being processed at the PT Vale … [+] Indonesia plant. Nickel mining by the PT Vale Indonesia, a nickel plant in Soroako, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. A number of economists and observers predict an increase in demand for nickel in future, one of the reasons is the era of electric vehicles where nickel is a raw material for its batteries. (Photo by Hariandi Hafid/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
LightRocket via Getty Images
The United States and the civilized world have another weapon against Russia for its unprovoked war on Ukraine: nickel. This is a critical element that goes inside of the batteries used in electric vehicles and for grid balancing. Russia is the world’s third-largest supplier of nickel.
But this gets to a broader point: the minerals used for today’s…