The Sami want a stop to raw materials but hesitate after big find Europe's largest discovery of rare earth species has been made in a natural area that the Sámi want to protect. It led to clashes between Swedish police and protesters, when the original Sami people, with the support of climate activist Greta Thunberg, among others, tried to stop the Kallak mine in northern Sweden. The Sami will avoid repeating that situation.But people will probably object to a new mine at Kiruna north of the Arctic Circle.That's what the deputy chairman of the Sami Parliament, Stefan Mikaelsson, says - We do not want more extraction of natural resources.We want to protect our way of life and the biological diversity in the Arctic.It is also crucial for people on the continent, says Stefan Mikaelsson to Ritzau. Largest find in Europe - The announcement comes after the state-owned Swedish mining company LKAB made public the largest find of rare earths in Europe on Thursday. The rare earths are used, among other things, for the production of electric cars and wind turbines.Today, however, production is almost exclusively concentrated in China. Therefore, according to LKAB and the Swedish Energy Minister, Ebba Busch, the finding can have great significance for Europe's attempt to become independent from China. Among the Sami in northern Sweden, however, the expansion of mining has become a matter of survival.Many Sámi live as reindeer herders, and according to Stefan Mikaelsson, the mines make it more difficult to drive the animals to places where they can get food. Climate and mining challenge reindeer herding. At the same time, the warmer weather, which the Sami attribute to climate change, which the energy-intensive mining contributes to, is also a challenge. According to Stefan Mikaelsson, the heat melts the snow, which can lead to layers of ice that make it impossible for the reindeer to use their hooves to access their food.- We can bring our concerns to the fore in a good way.But of course we cannot trump people outside the Sami parliament.And we know from Gállok (as Kallak is called in the Sami language, ed.) that protests can lead to unpleasant scenes where the police violently attacked the demonstrators without knowing the situation, says Stefan Mikaelsson. The Sami Parliament is both a state authority that manages money and a parliament that tries to protect the interests of the indigenous people. The Sami must be heard. Therefore, the Sámi have the opportunity to be heard in relation to the permit for expanded mining in Kiruna.- You can object to the permit, and the Sami Parliament is an interested party when it comes to granting permits.But the decision rests with the Swedish authorities.- And we have noticed that when the Swedish state deals with this type of case, they do it in a way that is best for the state.Even if they go further than the law allows.It has happened quite often, says Stefan Mikaelsson. And if you take the statements of Swedish Energy Minister Ebba Busch as a basis, then there is hardly any hope for the Sami to stop the new mine. During the EU Commission's visit to Sweden on Thursday, the Swedish minister made it clear that the mine will become a reality for the sake of the entire EU.Stefan Mikaelsson recognizes that reality.- We want to be part of the solution, we don't want to be part of the problem.Therefore, we must also respect others.
ETM Price at posting:
5.6¢ Sentiment: Hold Disclosure: Held
(20min delay)