National Geographic looks at rare earths in modern technology

The importance of rare earth minerals to the U.S. economy made news last week, following the complaint filed by President Obama with the World Trade Organization regarding China’s export restrictions on the minerals. This week, National Geographic took a closer look at the role of rare earths in the development of hybrid cars and advanced energy solutions including wind turbines, among other technologies. The article pointed toward a U.S. Department of Energy study noting that deployment of advanced energy technology could be slowed in the coming years by supply challenges for at least five rare earth metals.

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