China and Rare Earth Minerals Crisis?

Rare earth minerals are a collection of elements that are used extensively in the manufacture of products including large wind turbines,  flat screen TV's and strategic US weapons. China supplies most of the rare earth minerals to the United States.

The reliance on foreign countries for a natural resource that so depended on for the US military has had scientists and the defense department alike looking for alternatives for the China supplied rare earth minerals for quite some time, according to an August 31, 2009 article at wired.com.

According to the article:

China is the world’s dominant rare earths producer, and strategic thinkers are starting to worry about this strategic supply — particularly amid concerns that China may hoard or restrict access to the rare-earth materials that the military depends on.

Read More http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/08/defense-geeks-fret-over-rare-earth-metal-supplies/#ixzz12qNuYZJg

And why should you care about rare earth minerals and China? According to recent reports, in the NY Times:

"China, which has been blocking shipments of crucial minerals to Japan for the last month, has now quietly halted shipments of some of those same materials to the United States and Europe, three industry officials said on Tuesday."

 photo used with permission under morgueFile Free License Agreement