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The article makes note that rare earth metals have a huge application in green energy, and that 95% of the world's rare metals are in China. It's ironic that, o

The article makes note that rare earth metals have a huge application in green energy, and that 95% of the world's rare metals are in China. It's ironic that, of all countries, China would have a monopoly on natural resources that can help reduce pollution. Especially after the recent events at the Copenhagen climate summit. I hope that altruism can prevail over selfishness.

fnid2 17y ago
It's not ironic, it's a blessing. What better place for rare earth metals that help reduce pollution than in the most populated place and next to the other one. And referring to the altruism quote, do you really think if those rare earth metals were in the u.s. they'd be shared with China? Copenhagen was a joke from the get go. It's all about powerful compan... I mean countries taking more resources from poor countries, restricting their people's desire to grow and live a good life while putting few restrictions -- and none that would be followed -- on those countries that have had good lives for decades already.
- doki_pen 17y ago
  I wasn't saying that Copenhagen was an example of how the US is great and China is bad. But it seems that right now the US is more aligned (selfishly) with cutting pollution then China is. It is directly against China's immediate interest to cut pollution. If roles were reversed the US would behave in a very similar fashion. It's ironic because, in all the world, I can't think of a place where cutting pollution is more against a countries best interest then in China. China has the largest population in the world and would need to be many times more "green" then the US to make a positive impact. As it stands now, being green does not lend itself to fast economic growth. Any restriction on Chinese pollution would necessarily result in it's people suffering the consequences of slower growth. I hope that altruism can prevail all around, but I have little faith that it will.
Tuna-Fish 17y ago
Actually, 95% of all REEs are not in China -- 95% of REE production is in China. And the reason for this is that mining and processing REE causes a lot of pollution whose cleanup costs shut down mines elsewhere in the world while in China it was all just dumped to the nearest river.

fnid2 17y ago

It's not ironic, it's a blessing. What better place for rare earth metals that help reduce pollution than in the most populated place and next to the other one. And referring to the altruism quote, do you really think if those rare earth metals were in the u.s. they'd be shared with China? Copenhagen was a joke from the get go. It's all about powerful compan... I mean countries taking more resources from poor countries, restricting their people's desire to grow and live a good life while putting few restrictions -- and none that would be followed -- on those countries that have had good lives for decades already.

doki_pen 17y ago
I wasn't saying that Copenhagen was an example of how the US is great and China is bad. But it seems that right now the US is more aligned (selfishly) with cutting pollution then China is. It is directly against China's immediate interest to cut pollution. If roles were reversed the US would behave in a very similar fashion. It's ironic because, in all the world, I can't think of a place where cutting pollution is more against a countries best interest then in China. China has the largest population in the world and would need to be many times more "green" then the US to make a positive impact. As it stands now, being green does not lend itself to fast economic growth. Any restriction on Chinese pollution would necessarily result in it's people suffering the consequences of slower growth. I hope that altruism can prevail all around, but I have little faith that it will.

Tuna-Fish 17y ago

Actually, 95% of all REEs are not in China -- 95% of REE production is in China. And the reason for this is that mining and processing REE causes a lot of pollution whose cleanup costs shut down mines elsewhere in the world while in China it was all just dumped to the nearest river.