The New American casts a spotlight on the fact that the western North Carolina mountains and Kings Mountain, NC have extensive lithium deposits.
Lithium is regarded as a very important element these days because it is needed for batteries.
The demand for lithium batteries is not just to build fully electric vehicles. They are also used in hybrid vehicles, computers, cell phones, data centers and military equipment. There also has been a recent move toward electric yard maintenance equipment utilizing batteries.
This is a blessing of good fortune. At least it lessens our reliance on China for this valuable resource.
I suspect, Fred, most people in NC are unaware of this story. But it is a good thing, even if we are not necessarily excited about all the battery use.