rare earth minerals

18 Stories

He Paid $2M for a Coal Mine. It Could Be Worth $37B
Old Coal Mine in Wyoming
Could Be Worth $37B
in case you missed it
Nov 12, 2023 4:00 PM CST

Old Coal Mine in Wyoming Could Be Worth $37B

Site that cost $2M could be America's first new rare-earth mine since 1952

(Newser) - Randall Atkins says he "didn't know the difference between rare earths and rare coins" when he paid $2 million for an old coal mine in northern Wyoming. But the Ramaco Resources founder and CEO has learned a lot since then: The Wall Street Journal reports that he was...

Mining Company Appeals to Patriotism in Nebraska Village
A Vital Mineral Deposit
Could Bring Big Change
to Nebraska Village
in case you missed it
Feb 5, 2023 7:55 AM CST

A Vital Mineral Deposit Could Bring Big Change to Nebraska Village

Elk Creek residents know a lot about niobium

(Newser) - Niobium may not be a familiar word to many Americans, but most people in the southeast Nebraska village of Elk Creek can speak fluently about the strategic metal, which has applications including strengthening steel, the New York Times reports. The area is the proposed site of a mine for niobium...

Discovery May Ease Reliance on China for Rare Earth Materials

It will be a while before mining can begin in northern Sweden

(Newser) - The beginning of the end of Europe's dependency on China for precious rare earth materials may lie buried deep under the rugged reaches of northern Sweden, well above the Arctic Circle. Sweden's iron-ore miner LKAB said Thursday it has identified "significant deposits" in Lapland of rare earth...

South Korean Mine May Be Sign of Things to Come

Nation will tap its own tungsten, part of a global push for rare minerals and a green revolution

(Newser) - South Korea is reopening a long-shuttered tungsten mine, one of many examples around the globe of countries scrambling to secure access to the raw materials for a green energy revolution. “Resources have become weapons and strategic assets,” says Lee Dong-seob, VP of Almonty Korea Tungsten Corp, per Reuters...

Why the World's Eyes Were Focused on Greenland's Vote

It 'could have major consequences for international interests in the Arctic'

(Newser) - "A row over rare-earth deposits could bring down Greenland's government," read an NPR headline on Tuesday. On Wednesday, "could" shifted to "did." The AP reports the country's main opposition party managed to get the most votes in a parliamentary election, ending the decades-long...

Pentagon Will Fund US Production of Rare Minerals

China has threatened to cut off supply of rare earths

(Newser) - Rare earth minerals are essential components of many high-tech products, including weapons systems and fighter jets—and the US military wants to stop relying on China for them. According to government documents seen by Reuters , the Pentagon is planning to fund processing of the 17 elements for the first time...

China Issues New Threat in Trade War

Supply of rare earth minerals could be cut off

(Newser) - Facing new trade sanctions and a US clampdown on its top telecommunications company , China issued a pointed reminder Wednesday that it has yet to unleash all its weapons in its trade war with the Trump administration. Chinese state media warned that Beijing could cut America off from exotic minerals that...

Toxic Lake of Horror Comes From Making All Our Gadgets
 Toxic Lake of Horror 
 Comes From Making 
 All Our Gadgets 
in case you missed it
Apr 11, 2015 11:35 AM CDT

Toxic Lake of Horror Comes From Making All Our Gadgets

Inner Mongolia lake filled with sludge from processing of rare earth minerals

(Newser) - "Dystopian" and "horrifying" are just two adjectives Tim Maughan uses to describe for the BBC what he recently witnessed in the remote industrial city of Baotou in Inner Mongolia. Most disturbing was his visit to a man-made lake filled with toxic sludge that makes the surrounding area smell...

Toddler's Death May Spur Desk-Toy Magnet Ban

 Toddler's Death May Spur 
 Desk-Toy Magnet Ban 
in case you missed it
Sep 7, 2014 10:33 AM CDT

Toddler's Death May Spur Desk-Toy Magnet Ban

19-month-old swallowed 'Buckyball'-type magnets

(Newser) - The small rare-earth magnets best known as "Buckyballs" are too dangerous to young children to remain on the market, staff at the Consumer Product Safety Commission have decided. Regulators—who vote on a recommendation to ban the desk-toy magnets later this month unless they're large enough to not...

China Muscles In on Race for Piece of Arctic Pie

Beijing increasingly aggressive as stakes get higher

(Newser) - As Arctic ice continues to melt at a disturbing pace , the "Cold War" in the region is heating up. Global superpowers, excited about the oil, gas, minerals, and shipping lanes that are being made newly available thanks to the melting ice, are vying for position in the region—and...

Obama Files Trade Complaint Against China

Says it's trying to 'skirt the rules' when it comes to rare-earth minerals

(Newser) - The US, Japan, and the European Union filed a joint complaint against China with the World Trade Organization today over Beijing's limits on rare-earth mineral exports, which they say violate China's international agreements. In a speech in the Rose Garden, President Obama accused China of "skirting the...

Inside Your Prius: Environmentally Dangerous Rare Earth Minerals
The Dirty Secret 
 Inside Your Prius 
in case you missed it
Nov 19, 2011 7:00 PM CST

The Dirty Secret Inside Your Prius

'Rare earth' mining can hurt the environment

(Newser) - So, you bought a Prius or know someone who has. Beautiful. But look under the hood and you'll find some neodymium, one of the "rare earth" minerals that help run all kinds of green technology—and other high-tech stuff like smartphones and flat-screen TVs. So far so good,...

Major Ocean Mineral Find Could Transform High-Tech

Mineral trove vital for industry at bottom of Pacific Ocean

(Newser) - Japanese scientists have discovered mammoth deposits of rare earth minerals—essential in the manufacture of many high-tech devices—at the depths of the Pacific Ocean, reports Reuters . The find could transform the international market for these vital materials. Discovered as deep as 20,000 feet at 78 locations, particularly around...

China Hoarding Rare Earth Metals

The move could influence global prices, supply

(Newser) - In a move that could increase its power over global prices, China is stockpiling rare earth metals—a sector the nation already dominates. China exported 39,813 metric tons of the metals last year, and local reports claim that storage facilities built recently can hold more than that, the Wall ...

China Again Cuts Exports of Rare Earth Metals

China has nearly the entire world supply of minerals for tech gadgets

(Newser) - China will reduce its exports of rare earth metals by 35% over the next 6 months, the Wall Street Journal reports. Having raised taxes on exports of the crucial metals earlier this month, this move will likely bring more attention to the stranglehold Beijing holds on the supply of minerals...

China's Chokehold on Rare Earths Looms Large
China's Chokehold on
Rare Earths Looms Large
says report
Dec 15, 2010 11:46 AM CST

China's Chokehold on Rare Earths Looms Large

Energy Department urges search for other sources of rare earths

(Newser) - China has the US by the throat thanks to its abundant supply of “rare earth” minerals that are needed to produce green products like compact fluorescent light bulbs, electric cars, and wind turbines, the Energy Department said in a report today. China produces 96% of the most crucial types...

China Ends Rare Earth Minerals Embargo

Hillary Clinton calls the halted shipments a 'wake-up call'

(Newser) - China has resumed its shipment of rare earth minerals to the United States, after cutting us off early last week, the New York Times reports. Shipments to Japan, which have been suspended since September due to disputes involving the arrest of Chinese fishermen, also resumed, though they are facing some...

Trade War: China Withholds Rare Minerals From US
 China Withholds 
 Rare Minerals From US 
TRADE WAR
Oct 20, 2010 1:11 PM CDT

China Withholds Rare Minerals From US

And the US is 15 years away from having its own supply

(Newser) - Recent trade spats with the US have caused Chinese officials to block shipments of rare earth minerals, a key element of high-tech products ranging from hybrid cars to missiles. China controls production of 97% of so-called rare earth minerals, LiveScience reports, which really aren't so much rare as expensive and...

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