The perils of ecologically unequal exchange: Contesting rare-earth mining in Greenland

Abstract

Rare-earth elements (REE) are essential to produce many ‘green’ technologies such as wind turbines and electric cars, yet the mining and processing of these minerals are highly polluting and environmentally damaging. Ever since China monopolized the REE industry in the 2000s, there has been a scramble for securing new deposits around the world. Greenland possesses an abundance of REE deposits, most of which remain undeveloped, yet the largely Indigenous Inuit population is split over whether REE mining is the right development path for the country. This article mobilizes a historical narrative approach, analyzing documents, interviews, government reports as well as academic and news articles, to understand the recent controversies around REE mining in Greenland within the strategic context of the nascent global green economy. We use ecologically unequal exchange (EUE) theory to understand how Greenland, as a peripheral, less-developed country, is seemingly destined to fulfill a role of provider of raw materials for more industrialized countries that now urgently need to decarbonize their economies. Yet, this development path is contested by the Greenlandic Inuit who seek self-determination and the continuation of their traditional and sustainable ways of living that are highly dependent on nature-based industries such as fishing and hunting. We contribute to EUE theory by highlighting the agency peripheral countries have in defending their self-determined, place-based development paths.