One thing I’ve always been an advocate for is ideas that help us tell the positive story about the mining industry. And to be honest, at least one element of telling those stories is helping others understand just what mining is, what it is all about, and why they should care. In the mission to find examples of that educational…
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As this editor began brainstorming topics of discussion for this issue’s editor letter, my brain rushed to two things: our upcoming events, and also a significant piece of news as it relates to the future of the lithium sector. First things first: there is a good chance that, as you read this, you are preparing for or sitting in your…
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September: the month the weather begins to change for many of us, the buses return to the traffic patterns on our commutes and, in business, when meetings, conferences and other travel needs begin to slow and we shift gears into taking stock of where we are. With the final quarter of the year about to begin, one would think things…
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It seems like the topic of rare earth elements has been buzzing at its peak for a while now. While some of that conversation has come from the government via regulatory chatter and the “we-said, they-said” of what the future supply chain will look like – and cost – the tone has changed significantly in the past several months following…
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In last month’s column, I spotlighted the job losses of many gifted researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), many of which are key contributors to the future of mining more safely and with better health behaviors. The layoffs, triggered by governmental cuts from the DOGE program, also have included agencies such as the Mine Safety…
Read MoreAs we journey toward the center of the year (already?), it is a good time to take stock of some things, how we’re doing, and what’s going well – and not so well. So, when someone says, “You want the good news first, or the bad news?” I generally will choose the latter. Rip off the Band-Aid, then let’s figure…
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We hope you are reading this column on the sidelines of the West Virginia Coal Show 2025 as you take in the vendors at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center in West Virginia’s capital city. If you are, we welcome you to our second-ever expo and hope you have a great event – if you find myself or any of…
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Success in efficiency is not without work, as many mines can certainly attest to. Warrior Met teamed with communications, tracking and data analysis-focused Innovative Wireless Technologies (IWT) to put in the work and achieve a remarkable result – one which it shared recently with NAM. by Donna Schmidt Warrior Met Coal, owners of the Mine 4 and Mine 7 assets,…
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Call me a nerd, but I like to stay abreast of artificial intelligence’s speed of learning about the mining industry. In hopes of getting some creative inspiration for writing this month’s column, I decided to test AI by asking it what it thinks are the main themes and outlook of mining in North America and the world right now. While…
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Sharon Laverne Saffold-Harris of the University of Arizona is not your average member of academia. With a megawatt smile and brightness that precedes her, this issue’s Women in Mining spotlight belongs to someone who is working to find answers about the ever-growing influence women have on the resources industry. Edited by Donna Schmidt NAM: Sharon, it is so wonderful to…
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