Open Letter (Petition) to The Honorable Jennifer Granholm The United States Secretary of Energy.
Add Silver to the US Department of Energy's list of Critical Minerals. Update USGS Template. Add Silver to National Stockpiles managed by Defense Logistics Agency.
dicitur de ratione
To: The Honorable Jennifer Granholm Feb 14, 2024
The United States Secretary of Energy.
The.Secretary@hq.doe.gov
From: The Citizens and Friends of the United States. (Majority of signatures and e-sign are US citizens but our friends from neighboring precincts also have weight in this grassroots “call to action.”)
RE: Open Letter / Petition goal of 270,000 Signatures
Silver added to DOE list of critical minerals and Defense Logistics Agency National Stockpile
Whereas: We acknowledge these descriptions and characteristics of Silver:
Whereas: We, the undersigned, recognize the critical importance of Silver and consent to having this petition (open letter) delivered to the US Department of Energy and US Defense Logistics Agency.
Whereas: We acknowledge this dictur de ratione (Statement of Account) and these descriptions and characteristics of Silver along with the rational corresponding calls to action.
PROPOSED CONSENT DECREE IN THE MATTER OF SILVER AS CRITICAL MINERAL AND PROTOCOL SURROUNDING NATIONAL STOCKPILE
Intro:
Silver (pronounced /ˈsɪlvɚ/) is a chemical element with the symbol "Ag" (Latin: argentum) and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal. It occurs as a free metal (native Silver) and in various minerals, such as argentite and chlorargyrite.
Most Silver is produced as a by-product of copper, gold, lead, and zinc mining, yet there are mines where Silver is the primary target metal.
In industry, aerospace, and the military, Silver's use is growing significantly while stockpiles are disappearing at a blazing pace. The Leading nation in production, Mexico, has experienced an almost 25% drop in output over the past 2.5 years, and there are serious talks about an open pit ban, which would further decrease Mexico's silver production.
The US is over 79% import-reliant, meaning mining in Arizona, New Mexico, Idaho, Nevada, and Alaska, even at full tilt, would not even come close to satisfying US silver demand.
Characteristics / Physical Properties:
Here are the top reasons why Silver is used industrially. Really, no other metal compares because of these characteristics below:
1. Exceptional Thermal Conductivity: Silver surpasses all other metals in efficiently transferring heat. This is crucial for spacecraft, satellites, and rockets that encounter extreme temperature swings in their journeys. Silver helps disperse heat generated by electronics and engines, preventing overheating and malfunctions.
2. Superior Electrical Conductivity: Silver's exceptional ability to conduct electricity makes it invaluable for spacecraft wiring, antennas, and circuit boards. This ensures reliable power transmission and signal communication in the harsh space environment.
3. Remarkable Corrosion Resistance: Silver, unlike many metals, doesn't readily corrode or rust, even when exposed to harsh vacuum and intense space radiation. This durability keeps sensitive equipment operational and extends the lifespan of spacecraft components.
4. Reflective Properties: Silver's high reflectivity plays a role in heat dissipation and can be used for specific applications like thermal control coatings and mirrors for telescopes and laser systems.
Beyond these core qualities, Silver offers additional advantages in defense and aerospace applications such as:
Solderability: It readily forms strong solder joints, essential for high-precision electronics and wiring.
Ductility and Malleability: Silver can be easily shaped and formed into intricate components needed for complex aerospace systems.
Lubrication: Its low friction coefficient in specific applications makes it valuable for reducing wear and tear in moving parts.
Whereas Silver is critical for electronics, photovoltaic, battery storage, energy, circuitry, soldering, silver plating, hydrogen fuel cell catalyst, electric trains, robotics, AI, Quantum Computing, semiconductors, aerospace, military
Just as "National Stockpiles" have been used in times of war, natural disasters, supply chain disruptions, and other unforeseen circumstances, Silver is a Critical Mineral for Future Energy, Defense, Communication, Medical, Electronics, Internet, Infrastructure, Power Grids, Transformers, Mobile Phones, Computing and thousands of other necessary goods.
We acknowledge original reporting by The Silver Academy documenting strategic stockpiles of Silver used by Defense and how this reporting stopped in 1996. In the same year, the US Bureau of Mines was abolished. The United States Geological Survey then took over Silver reporting, and the template USGS established did not include defense and aerospace silver use. This data is necessary for the commodities market and silver investors (physical silver and mining equities) to have accurate data for investors to understand supply vs demand dynamics.
We are writing with concerns that the Department of Energy has deleted Silver as a critical mineral, and given all the uses above for Silver for necessary hardware and products (including National Defense), we are endorsing the Silver Academy's grassroots campaign to pressure policymakers to enact the following:
Immediately Add Silver to the US Department of Energy's list of Critical Minerals.
The document below shows it is not on the DOE list.
Correct the USGS template to include aerospace and military use.
Moreover, we acknowledge that the Silver Academy will be drafting and using grassroots activism to pressure decision-makers and the Defense Logistics Agency (Under US Department of Defense) to respond to questions about Silver and the National Stockpiles - https://www.dla.mil/Strategic-Materials/About/
This statement of account only addresses the industrial uses of Silver. Though the Silver Academy has strong convictions that Silver is a superior monetary metal, the US government has demonetized Silver, so this statement of account (dicitur de ratione) only focuses on (1) the Critical mineral list and (2) National stockpile concerns.
Two exhibits below show the “presenting problem” The solution is to simply Add silver’s real uses and add silver to critical minerals lost / national stockpile accountability.
Exhibit 1: Incorrect template of Silver uses in yellow highlight
Exhibit 2 : Include Silver on the US Dept. of Energy Critical Materials List in both:
a) Critical materials for Energy (there is no other material more critical, our emphasis)
b) as a Critical Mineral
Exhibit 3: Add Silver to National Stockpiles. Strategic Silver was eliminated for decades with all records vanished.
Madam Secretary, Respectfully we add that no one buys the “National Security” excuse. We’ve uncovered over 500 pages of silver use in bombs, shells, rockets, torpedoes, silver-zinc batteries, satellites, spacecraft, space-stations, nukes, submarines, fighter jets, tanks and other hardware. This are all from defense industry suppliers and declassified documents.
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Working Draft October 12, 2023 to Present
https://thesilverindustry.substack.com/p/introducing-the-silver-academy-new