Tag: travel

Greenland’s Emerging Mining Prospects

Published on by hansh51Leave a comment

Greenland has always been a land that when you see it on a map looks very large and very cold. Frankly for many centuries most people did not pay attention to it. Then the impact of climate change started to be felt. With disappearing glaciers the surface beneath began to be revealed and the minerals underneath the earth began to be coveted. In an era where the sins of the colonial past resurface daily, Greenland has transformed from nomad lands. It is now strategically important. In this scenario, the world’s great self promoter President Donald Trump, has said he will either buy Greenland or if necessary take by force. Not a very diplomatic move. The reasons for are strategic. They are also fueled by greed, America’s Achilles heel. The consequences will be great and many.

If you look at a brief history of the Greenland it follow a traditional projectory. As the European powers looked to expand and colonize new lands they sailed west. Greenland was colonized as far back as the 9th Century. It was Erik the Red who set forth from Iceland in 980 and landed in southeast Greenland. Norway and Denmark established a presence in Greenland in the 1700’s. Like many nations of the era they were trying to become colonial powers. Though Greenland is part of the Danish realm this was only formally established in 1953, following WWII. Since 1979 Greenland has enjoyed home rule. In 1985, it opted out of the European Economic Community. Greenland had become a part of the EEC when Denmark joined in 1973. Since that time debates have been had held on establishing Greenland’s independence. The challenge for Greenland in this scenario would be it would be a large land with small population. The current population of Greenland is a little over 56,000. This is just a small city in America.

Minerals are important to the global economy. Nearly everything we use as consumers has some type of mineral. A lithium-ion battery needs cobalt. Copper is used in construction, electrical products etc..Barite is used as a weighting agent in fluids used in the drilling of oil and natural gas wells. There are 84 strategic minerals that are tracked by the US Geological Survey. They can be found here. Some we have abundant in the US and others we do not. Cobalt comes primarily from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The DRC accounts for 74% of world cobalt. Most of this is exported to China. If you own a smartphone cobalt is a very important mineral in your life. If you look through the geological data China leads in a number of areas. The US has understood this and is trying to strong arm deals like the one recently done with Ukraine. Canada and Greenland are being threatened. They are key areas for providing the US with help in mining for critical minerals. Rather than do a trade deal why not just take them over? This seems to be the Trump logic.

Coming back to Greenland what would we mine for? The New York Times reported in March 2025 that, despite dozens of exploratory projects, there are only two active mines in Greenland. The European Commission did a survey of Greenland and that 25 of 34 minerals deemed “critical raw materials” were found in Greenland. Some of the minerals included are copper, cobalt, lithium, titanium etc.. There are already many large companies lining up for these rights. A big problem is the necessary infrastructure to support mining operations. Roads? Rail LInes? Ports? WIth such a small population, which equals a small work force, it is not surprising. To mine Greenland would require a significant capital investment in infrastructure. There are big companies lining up either investing or ready to invest in Greenland.

The race for precious mineral sis nothing new. In the Belgium Congo they went mad for rubber. As outlined in Adam Hochschild’s excellent book “King Leopold’s Ghost” the small country of Belgium went mad with greed. The winners were the Belgium’s and the losers were the natives of the Belgian Congo. As the 20th Century became about oil, the colonial powers raced across the planet. They looked to secure oil for their rapidly growing economies. The winners were the western powers and the oil monarchs who would make alliances. The losers were the citizens of Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, etc…to name but a few. Daniel Yergin’s book “The Prize” covers the history of oil in great detail. There are countless other examples like the California Gold Rush, Cobalt in the DRC. etc..In the end they have one thing in common the race to make a fortune. The race for minerals has also taken on a strategic function with the race to be the dominant AI superpower. If and when a significant deposit of strategic minerals is discovered in Greenland it will be hard for super powers to resists. Whether they choose a diplomatic route or military route will be the question to watch.

Greenland is in a tough situation. There is a desire for some people in Greenland for independence from Denmark. They enjoy many of the benefits of Danish society, such as Health Care. However, the desire for self-determination is strong. In today’s world, democracy is increasingly under threat. The challenge of being an independent nation could not be more daunting. As stated with only a little over 56,000 people it would have next to nothing in self defense. Greenland would be entirely dependent on alliances. The current US administration would provide the worlds greatest defense, it just would not be an alliance. It would be a conquest. President Trump even sent a letter saying the US would treat native Greenlanders very well. Asking any Native American if they trust the US government to take care of them would provoke deafening eye rolls. According to the National Equity Atlas Native Americans have the highest poverty rate in US at 22%. The US social programs are many but calling them an overwhelming success would be a stretch.

Donald Trump announced he was going to buy Greenland from Denmark in his first term. This announcement came out of nowhere. It was prior to a planned state visit to Denmark. Danish Prime MInister Mette Fredricksen’s response was swift, “Greenland is not for sale”. This prompted a typical Trump response now fondly known as a “Trumpertantrum”. State visit canceled and some name calling directed at the Danish Prime Minister. Maturity seems to have become a word lost to the english language. Well at least in America. However, as fate would have it, the issue would not go away and we elected Trump again and now suffer the consequences. Trump has renewed the discussion. Sending his second in command to Greenland to deliver a letter from the President, A letter veiled in lies. Saying how good we would treat the native population, but offer no details. That is because there are none.

The flip side is to stay the course with Denmark, A nation of 5.5 million people, but also part of NATO alliance, This creates confusion as the US is part of NATO. If the US invaded Greenland what would happen to NATO? Would America just being flexing its muscles and say we will be making the rules? We fund most of NATO. Would this just mark the beginning of the end for NATO? What would happen to US alliances? Who would be our allies if we gave up our NATO alliances? It always seems with this administration they are forever playing the victim. NATO has screwed us. I will give this admin credit. They have forced NATO allies to live up to their commitment and increase their commitment in finding NATO. Throw in tariffs and instead of helping, you are now hurting relationships.

Owning Greenland is the dream of a few. There is cause for concern as minerals are becoming more of a strategic asset and China is leading the way. There is ample opportunity in Greenland and also the question of what we don’t know. Denmark is a small land and could not possibly defend Greenland if invaded. They are also one of America’s allies. Like many things in the Trump world that does not seem to matter. Other countries covet Greenland as well such as Russia and China. Could the European Union invest in Greenland? They would have to balance the discussion with their climate change initiatives. Mining is destructive process. My one viewpoint on this is that Greenland can not go on its own. It will need to determine who it trusts and where it is best served. Of course if conquered none of that will matter.

Good Night and Good Luck

Hans Henrik Hoffmann Sept 8, 2025

The American Dream: Why Homeownership Is Out of Reach

Published on by hansh51Leave a comment

It seems a common conversation in America is the rising costs of living, in particular housing prices. A large part of the American dream was built around the idea of owning a home. The images were clear, A husband,a wife, 2 kids in a comfortable house. Television show like “Leave it to Beaver” justified this dream. The wife of Nobel Laureate Andrei Sakharov, Yelena Bonner noted this. In her book “Alone Together” where she traveled through parts of America, she said “In America, everyone wants a house”. It was said more as an entitlement. However something has changed in America and it is not for the better. The dream is no longer within reach.

The average age of first time home buyers has risen. In 1991 the average age was 28. In 2024 that has risen to 38. When my wife and I bought our first home (and only home) in 1995 I was 29 and she was 31 (cradle robber). The median cost for a home in America is $426,900. However in many metropolitan areas it is much higher. Seattle $853,000. San Francisco $1.2 million. Salt Lake City $572,000. Los Angeles $967,128. Dallas $440,500. The list goes on and on. Yes there are places that are cheaper like Dallas and Charlotte ($428,000). However you need the right job to save enough money to put a down payment on a house. In recent jobs I have had I have had co-workers under the age of 30. I have heard multiple times the belief that they will never own a home. When prices are increasing at a clip faster than wages it is hard to get ahead. Back to my first house, We paid $159,000. We put around 20k as down payment. Our house is paid off. The house is now essentially capital for our retirement. It may also be a home for one of our three children.

Gentrification is the process where a neighborhood transforms from low-income to higher-income due to an influx of wealthier residents and investment. Seattle, my home town, has seen this occur. The central district was Seattle’s black neighborhood. Over the past couple of decades it has transformed, it has shrunk. As housing prices increased and there was more demand for homes in Seattle, the homes in the Central District increased. I have always viewed this as capitalism’s natural progression. Though the owner would seemingly seem to make out financially well, they now have to find a new home. The question is where? You have to look out and away from the city. When a old neighborhood disappears only memories are left.

Capitalism is pure. I will give it that, but it is not perfect. It was never designed to be. It is a winner take all system. I do not know ratio of winners to losers, but in America we have our 1%. They have financial wealth and with wealth comes power. Everyone in America knows we suffer from disparity. A few at the top living high on the hog. While those at or near the bottom receive capitalism’s offspring: suffering. We are a wealthy nation, but too often turn our heads from a problem. We see the problem but cannot solve it unless we make a profit. Capitalism’s curse has always been the bottom line.

In the book “Nomadland” by Jessica Bruder, Bruder takes us on a journey. She adopts the life of those who live in their car or van. She has her own van called “Van Halen”. RIP Eddie. Living among those displaced from society she travels the country. Living in her van in the hot summers and cold winters. She gets to know those she shares the road with. All with their own background story. All of them, as they like to say, “houseless”. It seems it is a statement on the status of America that there are so many people displaced. Either houseless or homeless. In 2024 it was estimated that there were 771,480 people who experienced homelessness. The highest number since records began. How does this happen in the worlds wealthiest economy?

There is no solution in site for our housing crisis. As a society I believe we lack empathy. Over time we our happy to discuss a problem, we just do not want to pay for it. We have become complacent. But now more in folklore the American dream of home ownership is still remembered. Not fondly but with a passing of time, distantly. Too many Americans are being left behind in a world that is ever increasing in technological know how. America is a tense society. If was David Pilling who said in his book “The Growth Delusion”, it is not about the economy stupid. It is about happiness stupid. Much of the American dream of happiness has been about owning a home. Of building memories in that home. Those dreams have become remote as the cost of housing has made American dreams unachievable. Dream don’t always come true. In fact they may just be out of reach.

Good Night and Good Luck

Hans Henrik Hoffmann August 15, 2025