To get a sense of the severity of the problem check out this graph: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare-earth_mineral#/media/File:USGS_rare_earth_oxides_producti

To get a sense of the severity of the problem check out this graph: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare-earth_mineral#/media/File:USGS_rare_earth_oxides_production_graph.PNG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare-earth_mineral#/media/File... Couple that total production dominance with the upswing in patent applications and this could spell trouble.