American Resources Policy Network

Statistics show that rare earths reserves in China are down to 27 million tons and, at current production rates, may be exhausted as early as 2025. This data underscores the urgency of the rare earths crunch we have been discussing on this blog in recent weeks.  Having produced rare earths at rates exceeding 100,000 tons for five consecutive years, China is not only the largest rare earth producer accounting for 97 percent of global output but is also the largest rare earth exporter.

There is much dispute over China’s rare earths reserves, which makes even tighter export restrictions than the ones already imposed by the country a very likely reality. This tightening certainly serves as a catalyst for the current Congressional efforts aimed at ending America’s overreliance on foreign imports of all critical minerals.

American Resources expert Gareth Hatch has an excellent piece up on his site (techmetalsresearch.com) that outlines Quebec’s “Plan Nord” – the Canadian province’s plan to develop its northern reaches in both strategic and sustainable ways.

Says Hatch:
“Plan Nord could have a significantly positive effect on the development of rare-earth and other rare-metal projects in Quebec, and indirectly in Labrador as well, since Labrador shares a border with Quebec to the latter province’s east. It’s an interesting example of a jurisdiction putting together an integrated, coordinated effort to develop its resources, one that could have far-reaching consequences for Canada, North America and the rest of the developed world.”

What about us, “South” of Nord?  Are we doing what we can to maximize our resource potential? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Read Hatch’s full piece here.

For those who remember Rare Earth as a rock band, life has come full circle: Smarthouse Lifestyle Technology Guide reports today that audio speaker costs are “set to rocket” due to rapidly rising prices for Neodymium-based magnets. Whether rockers- and other music listeners- will pay more to hear their favorite music, or companies will compromise [...]