Rare earth elements. They live in your electric car batteries, cellphone camera lenses, and computer hard disks. They help refine petroleum and produce steel. They form important building blocks for renewable energy and national defense technology.
Abundant in Earth’s crust, the 17 rare earth elements are not actually “rare.” However, they usually appear in low concentrations with high economic and environmental costs to extract. Today, the U.S. relies almost entirely on China for its supply, which leaves us in a shaky geopolitical spot.
“We need to develop some of these resources ourselves,” said Dr. Bridget Scanlon, a geosciences professor at the University of Texas. Scanlon is one of several researchers who authored a recent report that might help with this goal.
Read the full article on the Austin Chronicle.