US Defense Department on Hunt for ‘Rare Earth’ Elements: (another sign of pending war?)

The Defense Department is on the hunt for scarce hard-to-find elements with superconductive or heat-resisting properties to be used to construct everything from stealth choppers to night vision goggles. The 17 sought-after elements, called “rare earths,” have special physical and chemical properties that are used to make smartphones, hybrid cars, and military equipment. The Pentagon is seeking more of the elements but 95 percent of the market is controlled by China

Instead of relying on China, the Department of Defense is asking scientists to come up with new ways to mine the “rare earths” in the United States, and to find alternatives. But the U.S. needs to move quickly, defense policy analyst Christine Parthemore wrote on Wired.com last year. “Unless America gets ahead of this problem, the United States will be unnecessarily ceding strategic advantage to commodity suppliers!

Source: www.newsmax.com...

Another thread related to this topic:

China Bangs the War Drum Over South China Sea: (So, is this how WWIII Begins-Asia?)
www.abovetopsecret.com...

You know, after WWII, when all the things we added up, it should have been clear that Japan was going to go on the offensive and/or attack.

I can't help but feel that China is the next Japan. They have been buying up natural resources all over the world at an alarming rate.. for years. Then you add how the US is trying to build up it's presence around China and the South Sea.... most likely sticking it's nose where it shouldn't be.

I think it is another indicator of what is coming... soon. China is beating it's chest over several things.. especailly the South Sea area. Tic Tic Tic.....

With China, Russia, Iran and it's buddies.... All coming at the USA at once... it won't be a pretty war..fought overseas I am afraid.

Read an interesting article a few years back talking about Afghanistan`s rich deposits in Tritium? I believe which is a major component in the batteries that are used in electric/hybrid cars.

Ive always wondered about Hitlers interest in the middle east as well as the occupation of Iraq if we arent looking for something buried there along time ago.

China This.. China That, blah blah China Blah Blah Blah

The most overrated military in history ?

Originally posted by anon72
I can't help but feel that China is the next Japan.

I think it is another indicator of what is coming... soon. China is beating it's chest over several things.. especailly the South Sea area. .

China has moved too soon with the rare earth metals and on the South China sea issue.

While China tends to try to play the long game, its leaders are only too human and demand respect NOW for what they presume China will become.

That has rather made their long term plan to dominate the South China sea and its neighbors rather transparent to everyone else and consequently, China's neighbors have been flocking to the USA's side.

Originally posted by ollncasino

Originally posted by anon72
I can't help but feel that China is the next Japan.

I think it is another indicator of what is coming... soon. China is beating it's chest over several things.. especailly the South Sea area. .

China has moved too soon with the rare earth metals and on the South China sea issue.

While China tends to try to play the long game, its leaders are only too human and demand respect NOW for what they presume China will become.

That has rather made their long term plan to dominate the South China sea and its neighbors rather transparent to everyone else and consequently, China's neighbors have been flocking to the USA's side.

Exactly this!

They should have kept there aspirations on the low down for a few more decades, its neighbours know China seeks to steam roller them into the Communist Peoples Republic, and they have every right to be concerned, literally all of China neighbours and wary of them and stocking up on arms to protect themselves from them

reply to post by TritonTaranis



They better stock more, and faster....

China will eat them all up alive before the US or anyone would even think of doing anything. Acutally I am surprised China hasn't done something yet.

Maybe they were waiting for the London O Games to end?....

If they would get rid of all the red tape here in the US we could mine our own rare earth minerals.

We do have plenty to go around but hey lets shut all the mines down and buy them from somewhere else.

Originally posted by TritonTaranis
China This.. China That, blah blah China Blah Blah Blah

The most overrated military in history ?

True ...but China has bought up and controls most rare Earth elements.

I think it's just a sign that cellular phone sales continue to be on the rise. A lot of these "rare earth elements" are components in cell phones. Nothing more, nothing less. As Americans, we're not too subtle when it comes to war. I think we will all be aware of impending war, if that's the case.

i have also read this week in one of papers , that North Korea has the most rare metals deposits than most of the other countries in that region

makes you wonder.....

snoopyuk

The USA currently only has one Rare Earth open pit mine. The mine is owned by Molycorp and is located outside Las Vegas in the Mojave Desert. Rare Earth’s are really not that rare to find but they are very difficult and expensive to extract from ore.
Molycorp just started a new operation this year they've named "Project Phoenix" that they will not comment on but it seems they have found the Rare Heavy Earth’s: terbium, yttrium, and dysprosium at the site.

Originally posted by snoopyuk
i have also read this week in one of papers , that North Korea has the most rare metals deposits than most of the other countries in that region

makes you wonder.....

snoopyuk

Really all the bits are falling into place

It is just that negotiations are not transparent

USA needs to really open trade with NK on this win win for everybody

Will that happen?

Fingers crossing

Sorry but this one is bogus. It is just an excuse for America to takeover the world and mine the planets to death.

Originally posted by anon72
I can't help but feel that China is the next Japan. They have been buying up natural resources all over the world at an alarming rate.. for years.

Except for rare earth minerals, as they are mined within China.

The USA used to mine rare earth minerals too, but it's an environmentally dirty business and most of the miners where shut down. Only a few rare earth miners remain in the USA now.

Originally posted by Cosmic911
I think it's just a sign that cellular phone sales continue to be on the rise. A lot of these "rare earth elements" are components in cell phones. Nothing more, nothing less.

There is most definitely something more.

Components of cell phones are components of other things. There is nothing peculiar about cell phones, it is the physics of high performance electronics, which is very technologically important.

Originally posted by moniker

Originally posted by anon72
I can't help but feel that China is the next Japan. They have been buying up natural resources all over the world at an alarming rate.. for years.

Except for rare earth minerals, as they are mined within China.

The USA used to mine rare earth minerals too, but it's an environmentally dirty business and most of the miners where shut down. Only a few rare earth miners remain in the USA now.

There are no operating rare earth miners in the USA. They were previously bankrupted by Chinese dumping and China's lack of enforced environmental regulations.

Originally posted by mbkennel

Originally posted by moniker

Originally posted by anon72
I can't help but feel that China is the next Japan. They have been buying up natural resources all over the world at an alarming rate.. for years.

Except for rare earth minerals, as they are mined within China.

The USA used to mine rare earth minerals too, but it's an environmentally dirty business and most of the miners where shut down. Only a few rare earth miners remain in the USA now.

There are no operating rare earth miners in the USA. They were previously bankrupted by Chinese dumping and China's lack of enforced environmental regulations.

Looks like someone did not read all the replies to the OP.

The USA currently only has one Rare Earth open pit mine. The mine is owned by Molycorp and is located outside Las Vegas in the Mojave Desert. Rare Earth’s are really not that rare to find but they are very difficult and expensive to extract from ore.
Molycorp just started a new operation this year they've named "Project Phoenix" that they will not comment on but it seems they have found the Rare Heavy Earth’s: terbium, yttrium, and dysprosium at the site.

reply to post by anon72


The worst part about this whole situation is that the U.S. has larger Rare Earth Element reserves than China, but the U.S. wont open up its own resources.

Originally posted by meticulous

Originally posted by mbkennel

Originally posted by moniker

Originally posted by anon72
I can't help but feel that China is the next Japan. They have been buying up natural resources all over the world at an alarming rate.. for years.

Except for rare earth minerals, as they are mined within China.

The USA used to mine rare earth minerals too, but it's an environmentally dirty business and most of the miners where shut down. Only a few rare earth miners remain in the USA now.

There are no operating rare earth miners in the USA. They were previously bankrupted by Chinese dumping and China's lack of enforced environmental regulations.

Looks like someone did not read all the replies to the OP.

The USA currently only has one Rare Earth open pit mine. The mine is owned by Molycorp and is located outside Las Vegas in the Mojave Desert. Rare Earth’s are really not that rare to find but they are very difficult and expensive to extract from ore.
Molycorp just started a new operation this year they've named "Project Phoenix" that they will not comment on but it seems they have found the Rare Heavy Earth’s: terbium, yttrium, and dysprosium at the site.

I'm well aware of that mine. It is not presently producing and has not for many years. .

It's all in China, they already put the nerf hammer on rare metal exports. Then our boys found the jackpot in Afghanistan. But i seriously doubt a mining company is showing up in Afghanistan soon as the Imperialistic West hasn't been able to crack that egg yet, they are still protecting the drug lords i mean freedom fighters

So yea, aside from those exploitable countries in South American, the US's rare earth metal supply is severely limited. That lithium ion battery powering those ipods and ipads take some rare metals to create. And we need the metals for our new technology toys.

You can't find a delithium crystal in your backyard ya know