Rare earth metals, a group of 17 chemical elements in the Earth’s crust, are crucial to keeping our society running smoothly–and to transitioning to a clean-tech-driven economy. They’re used in electric car motors, lithium ion batteries, computer hard drives, solar panels, and wind turbines.
China is responsible for 97% of global output, but the country is getting cagey about continuing to export the material. The scariest part: We don’t have viable alternatives yet.
Source: Scientific American
By Ariel Schwartz