Every Fourth of July, hundreds of millions of pounds of fireworks are set off across the United States. The bang, flash, sparkle, and colors of fireworks all come from specific minerals,^1,2 which come from all over the United States and the rest of the world.

Most coal has some methane (the main component of natural gas) trapped inside it. This methane is produced during the coal formation process and gets trapped on the surface of the coal in tiny pores and fractures.¹ Many coalbeds also contain large amounts of water; the pressure from this water keeps the methane in place. Coalbed methane is extracted by pumping out the water, which lowers the pressure, allowing the gas to detach from the coal surface and flow out into the well.¹

Produced water is naturally occurring water that comes out of the ground along with oil and gas

Why do earthquakes happen?

Advantages:

Groundwater use is highest in parts of the country with limited rainfall but high water needs, especially for irrigation. Most of these areas are in the western half of the country, where annual rainfall is typically much lower than in the East and where surface water supplies cannot meet the demand for water.

In 2015, groundwater provided 29% of the total freshwater used in the United States. However, eight states and at least one territory depended on groundwater for at least 50% of their freshwater supply:¹

For many mineral commodities, the United States uses more than it produces. The balance between imports, exports, and use depends on many factors. These factors include resource availability, global economic markets, social and technological changes, production costs, resource demands, and trade agreements.¹ Some minerals are more abundant or more cheaply produced in other countries. As a result, there are some mineral commodities that the U.S. does not produce domestically, making the country completely dependent on imports for these commodities.

Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory: What Is Ocean Acidification? and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ocean Acidification Program: Biological Response:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ocean Facts:

"Ocean acidification refers to a reduction in the pH of the ocean over an extended period of time, caused primarily by uptake of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere.

From the U.S. Geological Survey factsheet, "The Rare Earth Elements - Vital to Modern Technologies and lifestyles":

"Rare-earth elements (REEs) are used as components in high technology devices, including smart phones, digital cameras, computer hard disks, fluorescent and light-emitting-diode (LED) lights, flat screen televisions, computer monitors, and electronic displays. Large quantities of some REEs are used in clean energy and defense technologies."