The world's biggest island has huge resources of metals known as rare Earths, key components for powering wind turbines and electric vehicles, including Tesla.

Cars.

Warming temperatures are melting away ice sheets, making Greenland's riches more accessible.

And the surging demand for EV batteries has driven more miners to the Arctic island to Australia.

Based mining companies are racing for approval to dig.

One is seeking funding from the US, and the other is backed by China, which dominates the global production of rare Earths Mhm.

Each mine would cost about $500 million to develop.

One of them would not involve any nuclear material.

The other would produce radioactive material and export the uranium to China.

Many Greenlanders While concerned about pollution, film mining is key to develop their fragile economy.

The self governing territory of the Kingdom of Denmark has a GDP of around $3 billion.

It's people live mostly on fishing and grants from Copenhagen, and the government has been keen to attract foreign investments.

Expected annual royalties from the Chinese linked rare Earth mine is around $245 million per year.

That's equivalent to roughly 15% of public spending, even though it one initial support from the coalition government.

It recently ran into strong opposition, including from residents of the nearby town of Nars.

AC worried about a radiation and be their access to indigenous territory they rely on for hunting and fishing.

The island may ultimately back either project both or neither, but the contest underscores that even Green power has a polluting side.