Ed Conway

2026-03-06 • energy geopolitics gulf arab states oil gas

Ras Tanura and Ras Laffan are vital yet vulnerable energy hubs in the Persian Gulf, recently closed, highlighting their geopolitical significance in global energy supply.

2026-01-16 • chemistry manufacturing deindustrialization salt united kingdom

The post emphasizes the critical role of salt in civilization and the alarming decline of its production in the UK, prompting reflection on domestic manufacturing versus imports.

2025-10-14 • technology market trends china supply chain rare earth elements

The post discusses the significance of rare earth metals, highlighting their essential role in modern technology despite their relatively small market size. It explains how these elements, particularly neodymium, are crucial for v...

2025-06-25 • energy economics environment deindustrialization

The text discusses the decline of the chemicals industry in Teesside, particularly the closure of Sabic's Olefins 6 'cracker'. The author reflects on the historical significance of the industry and the impact of its decline on the...

2025-06-20 • trade war steel industry tariffs campbell's soup dwi steel

The text discusses the impact of Donald Trump's trade war on the American staple, Campbell's Soup, and its connection to Britain's trade agreement with America. It explains the complexity of making steel for tin cans and how the c...

2025-04-12 • competition china nationalization steel industry carbon emissions united kingdom

The text discusses the state of British Steel, the last remaining site for blast furnace steelmaking in the UK, and its impending nationalization. It highlights the challenges faced by the steel industry, including carbon emission...

2025-03-22 • history science and nature aluminum material economy industry lochaber

The text discusses the author's experience in researching materials for a book, focusing on aluminium and its importance in various industries. The author describes the process of making aluminium and the unique features of the Lo...

2025-03-10 • united states russia-ukraine war franklin d. roosevelt critical minerals

The text discusses the historical echoes of the Ukraine minerals deal, comparing it to a similar deal made by FDR with Britain during World War II. It highlights the forgotten side of history, the principles Britain agreed to when...

2025-02-02 • us tariffs trade war refinery capacity crude oil prices

The US is heavily reliant on Canadian crude oil, despite being a major oil producer itself. This is due to the specialization of American refineries in heavy oils, while American shale oil is light and high quality. The US remains...

2025-01-26 • battery management and performance lithium-ion battery silicon anode technology

The text discusses the technological revolution in batteries, focusing on the changes in the battery's shape and the advancements in anode technology. It explains the movement of lithium ions in batteries, the importance of the an...

2025-01-14 • desert life environmental and social impact mining chili caliche nitrate

The text discusses the history of caliche mining in the Chilean desert, its importance in the production of mineral nitrates, and the continued mining of caliche despite the availability of synthetic substitutes. It also highlight...

2025-01-03 • history treaty panama canal nicaraguan revolution

The text discusses the history of the Panama Canal, including the treaties and events that led to its construction and control. It also explores the possibility of building a canal in Nicaragua as an alternative to the Panama Cana...

2024-12-30 • whaling crude oil prices kerosene whales synthetic chemicals

The text discusses the myth that kerosene saved the sperm whales from extinction, and explains that crude oil did not save the whales. It provides a detailed history of the use of sperm whale oil and how it led to an increase in w...

2024-12-23 • paleontology mining lost minerals

The author promised to write a series of posts documenting the world’s lost materials, but after a single post, he decided to retire the series because he found that we haven't really run out of any minerals. He discusses various ...

2024-12-19 • coal mining energy transition solar energy coal green technology

The text discusses the hopeful chart of solar power capacity and the concerning chart of coal consumption in China. It highlights the link between the two and how the global transition to green technology is still heavily dependen...

2024-10-01 • economics globalization tropical cyclones pine sibelco

Spruce Pine, North Carolina is a small town that plays a crucial role in the global economy by producing high purity quartz sand used to make silicon wafers for semiconductors and solar panels. The town has been affected by Hurric...

2024-08-12 • industrial revolution environmental issues technology advances soda nicolas leblanc

Nicolas Leblanc, an 18th-century French doctor, won a competition to turn salt into soda ash, a chemical essential for making soaps, dyes, and paper. Despite his success, he never received the prize money and lost his plant. His i...

2024-06-30 • united states, united kingdom industrial revolution steel industry carbon emissions

The text discusses the implications of the UK closing its last remaining blast furnaces and the shift to electric arc furnaces for steel production. It addresses the concerns about the country's ability to produce 'virgin steel' a...

2024-05-31 • paleontology copper malachite lost materials

The author discusses the concept of lost materials and the scarcity of certain materials. He introduces the concept of lost materials and discusses the scarcity of malachite, a crystalline copper ore. The author explains the histo...

2024-05-14 • technology healthcare tv economics manufacturing

The author discusses his experience as a TV reporter visiting various factories and workplaces, and how the most interesting information often gets left out of the news. He talks about a visit to a factory in Oxfordshire that prod...

2024-05-07 • international trade china subsidies oecd net zero emissions government funding

The text discusses the importance of a chart on state aid from the OECD, which shows how much help Chinese companies receive from their government. It explains that the chart is crucial in understanding the rapid deindustrializati...

2024-05-02 • energy transition anglo-saxon copper mining bhp

The text discusses the increasing importance of copper in the modern world, particularly in the context of BHP's attempt to take over Anglo American. It highlights the challenges in copper mining and the growing demand for copper ...

2024-04-15 • history energy economics industrial revolution fossil fuels public policy oil sovereign wealth fund north sea

The text discusses the importance of energy in modern economics, focusing on the historical significance of energy in Britain and the impact of North Sea oil on the country's economy. It highlights how the UK was once an energy su...

2024-04-09 • spacex electric vehicles china market ford

The text discusses the comparison between Elon Musk and Henry Ford, focusing on the impact of the Ford Model T on the adoption of motor vehicles and the potential role of Elon Musk in making electric vehicles affordable. It also h...