Many analyses acknowledge critical minerals supply chain vulnerability, but few ask how the U.S. arrived here. In medicine, treating symptoms without addressing root causes rarely leads to lasting recovery. If we agree there is a problem, the first question should be: what caused it?

A transition to renewable energy and power storage places the United States at increased risk to disruptions in the supply of critical minerals.

The New Great Game, then, is not only about controlling mountain passes and caravan roads as military buffer zones. It is about securing access to geological deposits, processing facilities, and supply lines.

In a March 2014 article in Mining Engineering magazine, I played devil’s advocate by asking whether the risks of doing business in Turkey...