2012 - Rare Earth Metals effectively gone

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Vortex
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2012 - Rare Earth Metals effectively gone

Post by Vortex »

Last night's BBC2 Newsnight was a bit of a shocker.

Apparently we get most of our rare earth metals from China ... who by 2012 will need ALL of its output for INTERNAL use.

Sooooo ... how will we build high efficiency motors, computers, TVs etc without these vital materials?

I try not to be a LATOC level doomer ... BUT ... all these pending shortages seem to be conspiring to give our society a nasty kick in the 2012-2020 timeframe.

We may indeed end up with electric cars ... but more likely clunky lead acid models with inefficient motors and chunky manual on-off switches rather than sleek microprocessor controlled Lithium battery models with high-tech rare-earth motors.

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emordnilap
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Re: 2012 - Rare Earth Metals efefctively gone

Post by emordnilap »

Vortex wrote:Apparently we get most of our rare earth metals from China ... who by 2012 will need ALL of its output for INTERNAL use.

Sooooo ... how will we build high efficiency motors, computers, TVs etc without these vital materials?
Errr... who's "we"? :lol:

Doesn't this just mean the stuff the Chinese now build for us will be more expensive?
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Vortex
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Re: 2012 - Rare Earth Metals efefctively gone

Post by Vortex »

emordnilap wrote:
Vortex wrote:Apparently we get most of our rare earth metals from China ... who by 2012 will need ALL of its output for INTERNAL use.

Sooooo ... how will we build high efficiency motors, computers, TVs etc without these vital materials?
Errr... who's "we"? :lol:

Doesn't this just mean the stuff the Chinese now build for us will be more expensive?
It depends on what they mean by INTERNAL USE.

If it's for cars etc to be used in China ... oops.

If it's for cars etc to be exported ... well, OK.
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biffvernon
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Re: 2012 - Rare Earth Metals effectively gone

Post by biffvernon »

Vortex wrote:Apparently we get most of our rare earth metals from China
Congo?
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Andy Hunt
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Post by Andy Hunt »

Apparently Greenland is going to be be the next big source of rare earth metals.
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emordnilap
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Post by emordnilap »

Andy Hunt wrote:Apparently Greenland is going to be be the next big source of rare earth metals.
A deliberately ironic choice of name, now destined to be more so?
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emordnilap
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Re: 2012 - Rare Earth Metals efefctively gone

Post by emordnilap »

Vortex wrote:It depends on what they mean by INTERNAL USE.
Just what I thought.
Vortex wrote:If it's for cars etc to be used in China ... oops.
Poetic justice of sorts.
Vortex wrote:If it's for cars etc to be exported ... well, OK.
No doubt China will happily accept the appropriate amount in euros or pounds for a quantity of selected models.

Truly interesting times we live in.
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danza
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Post by danza »

Newsnight were talking about two precious metals in particular that are vital components needed to produce some important green technology like hybrid cars and wind turbines etc.

The metals are Lanthanum and Neodymium. Video link below

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/n ... 366603.stm


sounds like a car crash waiting to happen...
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emordnilap
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Post by emordnilap »

The stone age didn't run out of stones... :roll:
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Andy Hunt
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Post by Andy Hunt »

The space age didn't run out of space!! :lol:
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Andy Hunt
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Post by Andy Hunt »

danza wrote:Neodymium
For some reason I can't get it out of my head that the world will end because we ran out of Neil Diamond.
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emordnilap
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Post by emordnilap »

Andy Hunt wrote:The space age didn't run out of space!! :lol:
We live in the adage.
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biffvernon
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Post by biffvernon »

Lanthanam, though a 'rare earth' is not particularly rare. It's about as common as copper but is usually spread out very thinly instead of concentrated into useable ores. China may be the only country with significant production just now but it can be produced in several countries.
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revdode
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Post by revdode »

I'm sure as long as our currency has value China will happily swap some processed materials in the form of batteries or generators for cash.

Oh dear!
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RenewableCandy
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Post by RenewableCandy »

Andy Hunt wrote:
danza wrote:Neodymium
For some reason I can't get it out of my head that the world will end because we ran out of Neil Diamond.
They'll have to call in all those magnetic anti-rhumatism bracelets.

Danza...after all this time :) !
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