EP 925 Rare Earth Minerals Become Key Elements in U.S.-China Competition

 Rare earth minerals may be a misnomer.  While they are critical minerals to our modern, digital life, they are not that rare.  The problem is finding them in concentrated places where it is economically and environmentally responsible to mine them.  This group of 17 metallic elements is crucial for modern technologies due to their magnetic and electrical properties.  They can be found in products as diverse as F-35 fighter jets, iPhones, wind turbines, televisions and night-vision goggles. While there are various ways of extracting them, mining is the primary method, though repurposing them from older digital devices is another approach.  With all that said, their value to modern economies cannot be overstated.  And given China’s stranglehold on the global market and the fact that America only has one functioning mine to date, has been a point of great friction in relations between the two nations.  We explore all of these topics on today’s podcast with Ernest Scheyder, the author of “The War Below:  Lithium, Copper and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download