ECA#Tuesday 7.15pm: John De Val

The Mineral Backbone of Modern Wealth

We are getting used to the problems associated with our continuing dependence on oil and gas but the modern world increasingly relies on materials most of us have never heard of. China has certainly heard of them and for the past twenty years or so has been ensuring that its access to those materials remains secure and so will allow it to occupy a commanding position in the global economy. We will explore how they have achieved this and the economic significance for Western economies