Planet Money How to get what Greenland has, with permission
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Feb 18, 2026 A look at why Greenland matters: its rare earth minerals and strategic Arctic location. The conversation covers where critical minerals sit beneath the ice and how global powers, investments, and military presence shape access. Listeners hear why control is not the same as cooperation and why partnerships and processing capacity may matter more than owning land.
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Life In Coastal Greenland
- Zaha Olsvig and Christian Keldon describe Greenland's small communities, fjords, and reliance on boats and planes.
- They highlight a population of ~56,000 living mostly on the coast with no highways connecting towns.
Greenland's Heavy Rare Earths Matter
- Greenland holds heavy rare earths under deep ice that are harder to access than common deposits.
- These heavies are geopolitically valuable because few places have them and processing capacity is limited.
How The U.S. Lost The Rare Earth Race
- The U.S. ceded its rare earth dominance to China by deprioritizing minerals from the 1990s onward.
- China invested heavily in mining and processing globally, creating decades-long advantage and supply security.
