rare earths become rare earths not when they decrease in abundance, but when the places in which they are legally allowed to be mined and processed are restrict

rare earths become rare earths not when they decrease in abundance, but when the places in which they are legally allowed to be mined and processed are restricted due to local environmental resitrictions, to foreign locations which have the ability to restrict exportation. This is why Elon Musk worked with the new company in Nevada to start a new mining company in Nevada.... Lithium is used in the charging walls and I am not sure about Teslas batteries but regardless, Elon Musk seems to find decreasing the perceived rareness of lithium economically a huge priority.... please read about lithium and the tripling in price, and how global economics effects what is considered rare earth vs its occurence in parts per million or billion in the earths crust: This Elon Musk in light of lithium tripling in price in 2015 and many times before that due to the rarity in its production locations, in which the prohibition of producing it in this country increases the rarity/price/cost/pollution of transporting it is exactly WHY hes went to Japan to work with new battery technology, why hes building manufactoring system dedicated to it, an R&D plant dedicated to it to get away from lithium, and reducing the cost of lithium production, making it less of a rare earth metal in the commodities market by day, and why hes working with a mining company in Nevada to utilize materials mined in this country to do so. https://lasvegassun.com/news/2017/mar/20/lithium-how-a-mineral-found-in-nevada-could-power/ https://lasvegassun.com/news/2017/mar/20/lithium-how-a-miner...