Searching for Our Green Future's Secret Ingredient: Running out of Rare Earths | Documentary
For thousands of years, they lay dormant in the soil until suddenly, they became the driving force behind a technical revolution. Smart phones, laptops, touch screens, wind turbines, hybrid vehicles: they all need rare earth materials.
Among the first to recognize this were the Chinese. Today China mines an incredible 97% of all rare earth minerals extracted worldwide. The Chinese government makes good use of this monopoly: recently, it cut production by about two-thirds. Within days the prices of some rare earth metals shot up by 1000%. However, the Chinese also have to deal with the downside of rare earth mining: Environmental pollution, destroyed landscapes and radioactive residues, as rare earth metal deposits are usually laced with radioactive minerals and are extremely difficult to refine.
Because of the scarcity of rare earth deposits, the sky-rocketing prices on the international commodity market and the environmental problems associated with mining and processing, scientists around the world are looking for new, better ways to source these minerals. We follow researchers as they drill for new deposits in Europe and Australia, we see how they try and find new, more environmentally friendly ways of processing the materials, we discover how they try and recycle them out of old mobile phones and computers - and we reveal how physicists and chemists are working on ground-breaking new materials that could soon replace rare earths completely - a fascinating glimpse at cutting-edge research that could make our green technologies of the future even greener.
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Пікірлер: 46
I enjoyed this beautifully made documentary. But factually a bit odd - it doesn't acknowledge the role of Lynas and its own processing plant in Malaysia and another it is building in Western Australia. I understood Lynas is one of, if not the biggest rare earth's supplier and processer outside China? Does Mountain Pass send its rare earths to China for processing? 97% as a stat is a bit high?
@brianheard4565
11 ай бұрын
Many companies already on the job in Australia setting up to mine RE. And in Thailand is a company which refines RE - using raw material from Lynas and others - they've been doing his for 25yrs or so. And right now the price has dropped from a peak.
Nice Video 👍🏻
this documentary had the creepiest music I have ever heard in a documentary
Just look at Western Australia they are finding some interesting REE deposits. Dreadnought ASX. Drill baby drill.
Dr John Burba and Dr Donald Sadoway are both Canadian Ukrainians and pioneers of the battery innovation.
👍🏼
It seems that some data need to be updated, especially about percentage of China exportation and refining
Boy that saxon corn field looks oddly wheat like.
Hi Java Discover! Please put bookmark time stamps for sub topics! ♡♡♡
The recent announcement by privately owned North American Strategic Minerals ( NASM ) has a geologic model which estimate huge REE deposits in North America which may dwarf Chinese reserves..
Canon camera company has created a new rare earth technology. Rare earths can now be produced cheaply.
Moon an Mars are next...😮😅😂
Thailand have lot of REE
MOLTEN SALT REACTORS - research this topic and the role rare earths plays regarding this technology. The US discovered and invented this technology in the 1960s but mothballed it, now China is at the forefront.
Our population globally is shrinking not increasing.
@v3le
11 ай бұрын
true fact
China produced products efficiently but Used it inefficiently. USA , does both lavishly
TOO MANY ADVERTISEMENTS
I use full to story
@ciprianpopa1503
Жыл бұрын
You should use the story full.
This is just one aspect that demonstrates China has a much longer term of planning, not what the West always wanted to paint them as, some kind of power aggression. They didn't bring more than half of a billion people out of poverty in less than 20 years by luck, which has never been seen in history. Like the guy said, when the US doesn't produce their own oil and export them, has anyone called out their action for being the aggressor? At least China doesn't built hundreds of military bases around the world to "flex" their muscles...
@arnowisp6244
Жыл бұрын
No. China is currently in the Process of building its empire.
@YoungTang
Жыл бұрын
@@arnowisp6244 Says by the West who already colonized, and exploited every part of the world...
@bobbyjohnson2956
Жыл бұрын
@@arnowisp6244 Yes and new military bases, also threatening Taiwan.
@sarapiksit
Жыл бұрын
China actually does build military bases everywhere including the U.S. China owns land here and Police stations. Do your research. Also they built islands off the coast in the China sea taking other countries rights away from utilizing the China Sea. China has been building a military empire for years. Its never bee hidden. It's in plain site.
@willembecker2794
Жыл бұрын
@@bobbyjohnson2956 Taiwan is part of China, and I don't believe that they will invade it as long as they do not declare independency what the US tried to push despite officially supporting the one China policy.
Sooner or later we will submit and participate with reality. 😅
Breaking news Beacon Tracker unjustified behind scenes Human Rights violation Whistle-blower 2023
Remember when, We were SUPPOSEDLY. Running out of oil. This is the same. B.S. STORY !
40:43 talking about large-scale offshore wind turbines, but among them showing a JET TURBINE ENGINE !!! So you, Java Discover channel, have no clue what you are talking and showing aboytto and for us?! ;)
.la legge delle elestromagnetismo paraday .paraday es el flussso del campo magnetico non uzza soltanto la forza comfronti dei magneti , ma ma anche in il comfronti dei conduttori ...atraversati da corrente elestrica guardando traverso il filo conduttore,