Washington DC, 17 February 2011

Program aims to increase awareness of minerals and their importance to the economy, national security and innovation: The National Mining Association (NMA) today launched an education and advocacy campaign to raise awareness on the critical role U.S.-mined minerals play in our daily lives and how they help foster innovation, economic growth and national security.

The initiative, “Minerals Make Life,” will share information with audiences nationwide, including federal, state and local policymakers, business leaders, academics and the general public, on what minerals mean to America, the challenges facing the nation’s supply chain and solutions to ensuring increased investment in developing domestic mineral resources. It will also underscore the United States’ diminishing share of global investment in metals mining—the lowest in history—and how that impedes the nation’s ability to succeed as other countries compete for mineral resources.

“This is an opportunity for us to demonstrate minerals’ importance to the nation,” said Hal Quinn, president and CEO of NMA. “If we want to continue to grow our economy and lead the innovation race, we need to engage in constructive conversations about balanced policies that encourage investment in the development of our domestic minerals.”

As part of the initiative’s launch, a new website, www.mineralsmakelife.org, has been developed. The site, which includes an educational tool kit, provides information on how minerals are used by various industries and their link to economic prosperity and national security. The site also allows visitors to “take action” and voice their opinions on the need to increase utilization of the nation’s domestic mineral resources and other issues affecting U.S mining.

Minerals mining supports more than 1.1 million American jobs nationwide, and minerals are used to make roughly $2 trillion worth of products annually—about 13 percent of U.S. gross domestic product.

“Minerals are the building blocks of our economy and the keys to an innovative future,” said Quinn. “They are vital resources and an important part of our lives—from smart phones to lifesaving medical devices to the cars we drive. We need to implement policies that ensure the United States is more self-reliant and has the minerals needed to foster continued growth.”

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To learn more about minerals and their importance, visit www.mineralsmakelife.org