Slashdot Mirror
China Moving To Restrict Neodymium Supply
GuyFawkes writes with this quote from the Independent:
"Britain and other Western countries risk running out of supplies of certain highly sought-after rare metals that are vital to a host of green technologies, amid growing evidence that China, which has a monopoly on global production, is set to choke off exports of valuable compounds. Failure to secure alternative long-term sources of rare earth elements (REEs) would affect the manufacturing and development of low-carbon technology, which relies on the unique properties of the 17 metals to mass-produce eco-friendly innovations such as wind turbines and low-energy light bulbs. China, whose mines account for 97 per cent of global supplies, is trying to ensure that all raw REE materials are processed within its borders. During the past seven years it has reduced by 40 per cent the amount of rare earths available for export."
I don't know where you read China as Utopia in my post. I wrote they are powerful, played their cards right and got lucky that we are increasingly castrating ourselves.
And it's absolutely true that more Chinese people are living a much better life today than ever before. They are still subject to absolute governmental power and have no right to anything The Party doesn't want to give to them. They are living in much better economic and social conditions than only a few years ago which doesn't make it an Utopia. It is still becoming more liveable every year, though.
And I don't want to live in any deeply rural area, thank you. I like being anonymous, because being anon is being free.
"Read Chinese history and see if this happened before by any chance" ...
Although, if you want a good night sleep, it might be adviseable not to do so. China looks damned huge on a map, doesn't it ? I wonder how much those borders changed in 100 years ... (again, if you want a good night sleep, don't check)
Realistically, there are tons of situations that are powder kegs. There's always the middle east, but there's also the muslim situation in Northern Europe, and frankly if the economy doesn't recover there will soon be a "latin" situation in southern united states. Russia is another powder keg, controlling much of the energy supply of Europe (without which much of Europe would be uninhabitable to 90% of it's population don't forget). There's the enormous tension between "the gulf" of the middle east and Iran (and let's not forget, Iran has a barely functioning army, which beats the crap out of the "no army" approach of the gulf for obvious reasons). Iraq, thanks to Bush, is stabilizing for now. Everybody knows that it doesn't take much to blow that keg. Pakistan, and especially India and China's reaction to Pakistani agression (which are constant) are another wild card.
It seems likely that at least one keg will blow up. It seems likely that will happen soon.