I don't think it's scandalous in the least. It's strategic to leverage other countries (which have to pollute and deplete their own stores) while retaining your own as a long-term plan.
ie When you're out of people to pay to dig out valuables from their mines, THEN you start panning your own rivers and eventually dig out your own land.
Is this the time to start using up using the public lands' resources? I am not convinced it is.
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