Showing posts with label Rare earth minerals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rare earth minerals. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Rare earth minerals shortage feared by US and EU

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11633929

Well what is now considered to be the base, of what's left of the manufacturing industry, in the US is about to go into a death spiral.
Japan is not mentioned but they're hit pretty hard as well.



Used for green technology, such as battery-charged cars and wind turbines; in laptops, flat-screen TVs and mobile phones; for lasers; and for medical equipment, such as MRI scans as well as parts for smart bombs, and parts of airplanes


The US and the EU have warned that a shortage of rare earth metals from China could harm their economies.

Officials and industrialists in Washington and Berlin said a lack of the minerals, 90% of which come from China, would have severe repercussions.

The metals are essential for making many hi-tech products and some are used by the US weapons industry.