[woodbutcher1963]

Why don’t we mine cobalt?
The same reason we don’t want to mine lithium.
Why don’t they want tar sands production in the western US?

The process is incredibly bad for the environment.

Plus, as a mining/extraction company you are not liable for the toxic issues that the employees will have for the rest of their life IF that mining/purification happens in these foreign countries.

EPA and Lawyers. Those are the real reasons.

[Tell It Right]

I believe the environmental arguments against mining cobalt and nickel and lithium and uranium (though I believe we don't have high grade uranium deposits here) are just as overblown as the left's environmental arguments against mining coal and drilling for oil and natural gas.

As conservatives, always and forever our argument should be free markets free markets free markets and let Americans produce our own energy and Americans choose as individuals what energy they want most (for their homes and driving).

When the left demands a one-size-fits-all solution (i.e. everybody drive EV's, ban natural gas, use only solar and wind), as conservatives our response should never be a "better" one-size-fits-all solution (block EVs and solar, everybody use coal and natural gas for homes and drive ICE cars). Our response should be to get rid of restrictions and incentives --- just government get out of the way.