Malawi has pitched a mega-farm plan to foreign investors, with help from the Gates-funded AGRA. Nearly 500,000 hectares are being put up for transformation into agribusiness! farmlandgrab.org/33725 @esaffuganda.bsky.social @oaklandinstitute.org @timschwab.bsky.social @rajpatel.org

Malawi unveils mega-farm plan to attract foreign investment

Malawi is seeking a staggering $2.4 billion — roughly K4 trillion — from private investors and development partners to fund the development of 470,000 hectares of irrigable land earmarked for ambitiou...

farmlandgrab.org

If you missed last week’s deep dive exposing the false climate narrative behind the mineral rush, watch it here and share widely: www.oaklandinstitute.org/video/critic... @friendsofthecongo.org.web.brid.gy @ids.ac.uk @tallgrassinst.bsky.social @mittaloak.bsky.social

The Critical Minerals Myth - Webinar Recording: Exposing the False Climate Narrative Behind the Mineral Rush

As world leaders, policymakers, and civil society gather for Climate Week NYC – the world’s largest climate event – this webinar, drawing on the Oakland Institute’s RUSH report, will bring together ex...

oaklandinstitute.org

Oakland Institute@oaklandinstitute.org · last mo.

#NYCClimateWeek Webinar Invitation! The Critical Minerals Myth @mittaloak.bsky.social @tallgrassinst.bsky.social @friendsofthecongo.org.web.brid.gy @ids.ac.uk

@adalahjustice.bsky.social @afsc-org.bsky.social @peaceeconomy.bsky.social @globaljusticenow.bsky.social @mittaloak.bsky.social

Oakland Institute@oaklandinstitute.org · 3w ago

From military technologies to AI systems and data centers, industries with bottomless mineral appetites are driving a new mineral rush. From people being bombed by AI-powered weapons in Gaza and Iran to communities facing mining destruction in Zambia, the consequences are devastating.

From military technologies to AI systems and data centers, industries with bottomless mineral appetites are driving a new mineral rush. From people being bombed by AI-powered weapons in Gaza and Iran to communities facing mining destruction in Zambia, the consequences are devastating.

@globalwitness.org documented over 124 land defenders killed in 2025 - including Kulwa Igembe & Hamprey Mhaki, murdered by World Bank funded TANAPA rangers. Over a year has passed and their families still wait for justice while the Bank callously turns a blind eye.

Collective power: The struggle for protection for land and environmental defenders

In 2025, Global Witness documented 124 land and environmental defenders were killed for protecting their land, territories, natural resources and communities

globalwitness.org

WEBINAR INVITATION | How War and AI Fuel the Critical Minerals Race The global mineral rush is being fueled by war, militarization, AI, and global competition – with devastating consequences for communities and the environment.

Elon Musk tweeted in 2020 that the coup against Bolivian president Evo Morales had to do with lithium, proudly stating, “We will coup whoever we want! Deal with it.” @mittaloak.bsky.social reveals the powers at play still seeking to control Bolivia’s natural resources 👇

Trump, Paz, and Lithium – US Pivot on Bolivia

June 2026: Just six months into office, Bolivian president Rodrigo Paz Pereira’s, tethered on the edge. Starting late April, as demonstrators and security forces clashed in the country’s capital, La P...

oaklandinstitute.org

@mongabay.com - On renewable energy, it’s time to debunk the ‘transition minerals’ narrative. Not only does the extraction cause environmental and community harms, the numbers cited about how they are used – and the number of new mines needed – don’t add up. @mittaloak.bsky.social

On renewable energy, it’s time to debunk the ‘transition minerals’ narrative (commentary)

There is an insidious lie that has taken root in the energy transition narrative pushed by the world’s most powerful financial, political, and environmental institutions: we need to massively scale up...

news.mongabay.com

The global rush for minerals is being pushed with the narrative that the expansion of mining is essential to power the clean energy transition. A closer look exposes the false veneer.👇

Oakland Institute@oaklandinstitute.org · last mo.

#NYCClimateWeek Webinar Invitation! The Critical Minerals Myth @mittaloak.bsky.social @tallgrassinst.bsky.social @friendsofthecongo.org.web.brid.gy @ids.ac.uk

[Commentary] The idea that we must massively scale up mining for the clean energy transition is false, scholar Shaan Sood argues in an op-ed. Most "critical minerals" are actually used in industries unrelated to, or opposed to, clean energy, while extraction causes widespread harm.

On renewable energy, it’s time to debunk the ‘transition minerals’ narrative (commentary)

There is an insidious lie that has taken root in the energy transition narrative pushed by the world’s most powerful financial, political, and environmental institutions: we need to massively scale…

mongabay.cc

#NYCClimateWeek Webinar Invitation! The Critical Minerals Myth @mittaloak.bsky.social @tallgrassinst.bsky.social @friendsofthecongo.org.web.brid.gy @ids.ac.uk

“Bolivians know far too well what US peddling in Bolivia’s affairs means for their country and democracy.” Read @mittaloak.bsky.social new piece to understand what’s really behind the US pivot on Bolivia & the race to secure its critical minerals. 👇

The government of Ethiopia says it now wants "accountability" for this failure, even as it continues to promote land deals for foreign investors. (NB: Al-Amoudi also runs Ethiopia's biggest poultry farm, in partnership with Bill Gates.) @oaklandinstitute.org @plaasuwc.bsky.social

@mongabay.com's Victoria Schneider – must-read coverage of @oaklandinstitute.org's exposé on the “devastating” rush for critical minerals and why it has little to do with “green” transition. @mittaloak.bsky.social

‘Devastating’ rush for critical minerals has little to do with green energy: Report

A report warns the global rush for critical minerals is driven by industries beyond clean energy, with major environmental and social costs in Africa.

news.mongabay.com

Learn more about the urgent need to stop the global mineral rush before it inflicts more irreparable damage on people & planet: www.oaklandinstitute.org/report/rush

Rush: Global Scramble for Minerals Wages War on People and Planet

As governments and corporations scramble to secure critical minerals, a new Oakland Institute report exposes the forces fueling today’s unprecedented mining boom. RUSH: Global Scramble for Minerals Wa...

oaklandinstitute.org

Global Trade Watch@pcgtw.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Trump’s deals on critical minerals have raised serious concerns about transparency, human rights, and labor standards. Ranking members @replindasanchez.bsky.social and @rephuffman.bsky.social, with @jonathanjackson.house.gov along with 50+ representatives, are demanding answers.

Trump’s deals on critical minerals have raised serious concerns about transparency, human rights, and labor standards. Ranking members @replindasanchez.bsky.social and @rephuffman.bsky.social, with @jonathanjackson.house.gov along with 50+ representatives, are demanding answers.

In 2025, we supported the struggles of over 31 million people resisting land grabs worldwide. We draw our inspiration from sumud – embodying steadfastness and perseverance. That’s why we never give up. New Impact Report: @mittaloak.bsky.social

How do we speak about impact when our shared humanity is in such deep crisis? As wars and genocides rage, communities are displaced by the millions, and the global rush for extraction accelerates with devastating consequences, celebrating "wins" feels inadequate. @mittaloak.bsky.social

@desmog.com : “It’s unacceptable that our communities will become home to the world’s largest toxic CO2 dumping ground” Inside the grassroots revolt against CO2 pipelines: www.desmog.com/2026/08/05/i... @mittaloak.bsky.social @iowacci.bsky.social

Inside the Grassroots Revolt Against Carbon Capture Pipelines

Seemingly unlikely alliances are springing up in Canada and the U.S. to prevent rural communities from becoming a ‘toxic CO2 dumping ground’.

desmog.com

"In ten years, when the Global South is nothing more than a vast crater serving a militarized hyper-technology, it will be too late to realize that the planet was never the priority.” - Franck Zongwe @mittaloak.bsky.social @etcgroup.bsky.social @mongabay.com @melissaontheroad.bsky.social

Oakland Institute@oaklandinstitute.org · 2mo ago

The Great "Green" Heist: When Artificial Intelligence & Arms Dealers Seize the Minerals of the South Must read on Our Take from Franck Zongwe revealing how the so-called green revolution has become the perfect smokescreen, the moral veneer for a very different kind of war: @mittaloak.bsky.social

The Great "Green" Heist: When Artificial Intelligence & Arms Dealers Seize the Minerals of the South Must read on Our Take from Franck Zongwe revealing how the so-called green revolution has become the perfect smokescreen, the moral veneer for a very different kind of war: @mittaloak.bsky.social

The Great “Green” Heist: When Artificial Intelligence and Arms Dealers Seize the Minerals of the South

Far from the promises of sustainable development touted by the World Bank, the current scramble is driven by a strict logic of geopolitical power. A damning report from the California-based Oakland In...

oaklandinstitute.org

US Congress and lawmakers everywhere: Urgently pass AI safety laws. actions.eko.org/a/us-congres... @oaklandinstitute.org @dropsitenews.com @eko.org

US Congress and lawmakers everywhere: Urgently pass AI safety laws.

It happened. An OpenAI system broke out of its secure testing environment, hacked its way online, then broke into a second company's servers to access data.No one told it to. It chose to.Now imagine t

actions.eko.org

A powerful alliance of Trump cronies, tech, AI, mining, venture capital & defense interests is driving a global mineral rush, claiming it is for national security. But it’s really about maintaining military hegemony and boosting personal profit for the Trump family & political allies.

The Business of War: Trump’s Critical Minerals Grift | Common Dreams

​By gaining access to more critical minerals, Trump can expand the war machine and, in turn, make a profit; his administration has shown it will stop at nothing to achieve that.

commondreams.org

@grain.org @mittaloak.bsky.social @reddmonitor.bsky.social @foeeurope.bsky.social @greenpeaceafrica.org

Oakland Institute@oaklandinstitute.org · 3mo ago

Wildfires raging in Southwest France are not burning natural forests but immense plantations of pine trees. For many years, we have warned Uganda and other African countries about the dangers of establishing plantations of non-native pine species, including wildfires and loss of biodiversity.

Wildfires raging in Southwest France are not burning natural forests but immense plantations of pine trees. For many years, we have warned Uganda and other African countries about the dangers of establishing plantations of non-native pine species, including wildfires and loss of biodiversity.

Security for the Big Polluters: Plantation Forestry for Carbon Offset Delays Action on Climate

Kristen Lyons investigates how climate policies such as carbon offsets simply provide security for big polluters, while leaving our planet in danger.

oaklandinstitute.org

Former workers of Les Fermes de la Teranga – a 20,000 hectare US-led agribusiness operation, formerly known as Senhuile – are still waiting for "almost two years" of back wages to be paid. Senegalese MP Guy Marius Sagna is pushing for action. farmlandgrab.org/33601 @oaklandinstitute.org

GRAIN@grain.org · 3mo ago

Former workers of Les Fermes de la Teranga – a 20,000 hectare US-led agribusiness operation, formerly known as Senhuile – are still waiting for "almost two years" of back wages to be paid. Senegalese MP Guy Marius Sagna is pushing for action. farmlandgrab.org/33601 @oaklandinstitute.org

@codepink.bsky.social @mittaloak.bsky.social @world-beyond-war.bsky.social @focussouth.bsky.social @globalwitness.org @tninstitute.bsky.social

Oakland Institute@oaklandinstitute.org · 3mo ago

Myth: Critical mineral dominance is essential for US security. Fact: The US is depleting its own mineral reserves through wars of aggression. New report reveals how the US is burning through mineral supplies while rapidly expanding mining globally 👇

Myth: Critical mineral dominance is essential for US security. Fact: The US is depleting its own mineral reserves through wars of aggression. New report reveals how the US is burning through mineral supplies while rapidly expanding mining globally 👇

Over 145,000 people call on #UNESCO to DELIST the #Ngorongoro Conservation Area for failing to protect the rights of Indigenous #Maasai to land & life. Ongoing failure to act makes you complicit in their forced eviction - take action NOW! @mittaloak.bsky.social @rainforestrescue.bsky.social

Tanzania: stop the eviction of the Maasai from Ngorongoro!

Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater is renowned the world over for its wildlife and as the home of the indigenous Maasai people. To promote tourism, the government wants to enlarge the protected area – and e...

rainforest-rescue.org