It would be a damn shame if we had to use more of our own resources instead of financing the Chinese Communist party.
What are the consequences of the US using its own resources? It means more mining, which means digging up more of the US.
Rare-earth mining is notorious for the environmental hazards it poses but researchers in China are making breakthroughs that could turn the tide.
earth.org
"How Rare-Earth Mining Has Devastated China’s Environment"
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Rare-earth mining is notorious for the environmental hazards it poses and while the challenges of cleaning up the environment are steep,"
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It’s challenging to mine and process rare earths without harming the environment. The problems are related to the two primary extraction methods.
The first involves removing the topsoil, transporting it to a leaching pond, and adding chemicals (such as ammonium sulfate and ammonium chloride) to separate out the metals. The chemicals used in this separation process can create air pollution, cause erosion, and leach into groundwater.
The second processing method involves drilling holes into the ground, inserting PVC pipes and rubber hoses and pumping chemicals to flush out earth. The resulting slurry is then pumped into leaching ponds to separate out the rare-earth metal.
This method creates the same problems as with topsoil removal with the addition of the PVC pipes, rubber hoses and other sundry used by mining crews remaining littered in the mines.
Abandoned mines pose ongoing environmental hazards. Remaining chemicals can continue to leach into groundwater.
Mines may also contain
pools of wastewater that can potentially pour into local waterways. For example, in its
2016 report, China Water Risk highlighted an abandoned mine in Ganzhou where untreated chemicals flow from leaching ponds when it rains."
"The pollution resulting from rare-earth mining has created soil incapable of supporting crops and water supplies have been contaminated. "