Rare earths are essential to the manufacture of electric car batteries, wind turbine generators, and advanced solar panels. The US has opted not to mine its supply of rare earths, instead thinking Communist China would inflict environmental damage on itself for the privilege of selling rare earths to the US.
3/15/12, "Rare earth case reveals US hypocrisy," China Daily, Chen Weihua
"US President Barack Obama announced...that the United States, joined by Japan and the European Union, has filed complaints with the World Trade Organization over China's rare earth export quotas.
His words, however, imply that he does not really care about the environmental degradation caused by China's disorderly and excessive mining of rare earth materials, as long as US workers and businesses can profit from China's cheap supply.
This is shocking for a president who likes to portray himself as pro-environment when he fights Republican presidential candidates over clean energy issues, or when he tried to restore the US' leadership role at the UN Climate Change Conference, in Copenhagen, in December 2009....
According to the US Geological Survey, there are about 13 million metric tons of rare earth deposits in the US. Instead of buying from China, Obama should propose tapping the US' own deposits. Such a move would not only enable the US to share the responsibility for the supply of rare earth materials, it would also create jobs for Americans, the single most powerful weapon Obama needs to beat a Republican....
Countries such as the US, Canada and Australia, which used to produce rare earth minerals, stopped such manufacturing a decade ago due to the environmental concerns and the higher cost compared with Chinese exports....
China's new regulations on rare earth manufacturing and exports, which were introduced a few years ago, are based on the sound rationale of sustainable growth and environmental protection."...
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US has 11.4% of world reserves of 'rare earths' but refuses to mine them due to environmental concerns. "Rare earths and other critical minerals are essential to the manufacture of green technologies including wind turbine generators, advanced solar panels and electric car batteries. They are also used to produce modern military defense systems such as laser-guided missiles."
4/8/12, "Global race for 'rare earths'," Korea Times
chart from Korea Times, 4/8/12 (scroll down)
"Rare earths will do for China what oil did for Saudi Arabia, Deng Xiaoping once said in 1992 implying the state’s determination to invest in the sector. "
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Study by Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, funded by UK gov. and car industry. 'Rare earths' minerals needed to make electric car batteries are so polluting to extract that none are mined in the US. Most come from Communist China. Obama's electric car business pivots on a Communist Chinese product which renders electric car CO2 emissions as high or higher than petrol equivalents.
6/10/11, "Electric cars may not be so green after all, says British study," The Australian, Ben Webster
"ELECTRIC cars could produce higher emissions over their lifetimes than petrol equivalents because of the energy consumed in making their batteries, a study has found. An electric car owner would have to drive at least 129,000km before producing a net saving in CO2. Many electric cars will not travel that far in their lifetime."...
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"Rare Earth Metals," UCLA Institute of Environment and Sustainability
US environmental rules and wages make it too expensive to extract rare earths here. We opted out of the "race" for green jobs. Most rare earths come from Communist China now. Rare earth smelting plant in Communist China (below, reuters, 11/21/10)
12/29/10, "China will cut rare earths export quotas," BBC
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6/5/11, "RARE EARTHS: USA CONCERNS, US CONGRESS ETC…," simonthongwh.com
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