Penny White: Copper Americana

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The recent increasing pressure to effectuate a Clean Energy Transition has brought with it a growing demand to mine hardrock minerals. In the US, this has intensified the demand on the government to mine on Federal lands. These lands have been largely governed by the outdated Federal Mining Law of 1872. This governance has historically favored mining over local well-being. Out of all the Clean Energy Transition minerals, copper offers a unique lens. It has always gestured to our reliance on technology. Thus, Its acute demand within the Clean Energy Transition problematizes the techno-optimism of our future climate visions. This study superimposes national narratives onto 3 proposed mining sites in the West; all sites have strong activist opposition. The aim is to give texture to abstract future climate policy by understanding local perspectives.