Demand for these elements is projected to spike in coming years as governments, organizations, and individuals increasingly invest in clean energy. An electric car requires six times the mineral inputs of a conventional car, and a wind plant requires nine times more minerals than a gas-fired plant. With current estimates, demand for REEs could increase six-fold by 2040. Lithium and cobalt demand could increase ten to twenty times by 2050 because of electric cars. Demand for dysprosium and neodymium is estimated to increase seven to twenty-six times over the next 25 years as a result of electric vehicles and wind turbines. But REEs also have grim prospects: the way companies extract REEs largely damages communities and contaminates surrounding areas.36
Introduction of the metaverse into this equation will only increase competition and costs. It will
also increase huge environmental concerns: again, “the way companies extract REEs largely damages communities and contaminates surrounding areas!”37 For example, “overall, for every ton of rare earth, 2,000 tons of toxic waste are produced.”38
And the environmental and health costs stemming from such mining does not even account for the costs of yet another political conflict. “Most mining for rare-earth metals occurs in China, which produces more than 70% of global supply. This raises concerns about long-term availability, particularly after China threatened to restrict its supply in 2019 during its trade war with the US.”39
Conclusion
Though ironic, it is perhaps sad, if not tragic, that the pitch for the reality of the metaverse comes at essentially the same time as the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated, as of May 2022, that approximately 15 million people died directly or indirectly from the COVID-19 pandemic, during the period between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021. The organization noted, “these sobering data not only point to the impact of the pandemic but also to the need for all countries to invest in more resilient health systems that can sustain essential health services during crises, including stronger health information systems.”40
Add to this reality Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine. According to the UN refugee agency (UNHRC), as of 12 May 2022, there had been 3,459 civilian casualties in the Ukraine (238 of which are children) and 3,713 injuries (347 of which are children.41 Additionally, the UN refugee agency (UNHRC) estimates that, as of 12 May 2022, 6 million people have fled Ukraine.42
Then add to this the economic, environmental, and health costs that will have to be taken into the calculation when developing the metaverse, and people should be scratching their heads and asking: what are you thinking? Instead of finding solutions to fix the problems of the world in which we live, you want to build a yet undefined virtual world – you “claim” will be as real – using materials extracted from this world that will cause known and significant damage to our existing environment and our people’s health? It may be a time when people would truly wish to escape the difficulties of life through the playing of games. but people need to confront reality. Twisting a logical argument to make a point, such as claiming that verbal and bodily harassment or assault in virtual reality spaces is the equivalent of a “real world” harassment or assault because both have been defined as “real experiences,” is both wrong and harmful. Life is not a game. And if you don’t believe so, ask those who have been wounded, assaulted, displaced, or homeless in the Ukraine whether this is true or not as those who have been killed will not be able to answer the question or create another avatar to do so. This is why, when viewed in such a context, justifying the build of the universe on the grounds it is ‘real’ is not only delusional, it is insane.
As noted by Leila Fataar:
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