excalibur
Diamond Member
- Mar 19, 2015
- 18,166
- 34,444
- 2,290
Made worse by Biden polices and loony environmentalists.
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Before the 1980s, the United States was the global leader in the rare earths market. Since then, increasing environmental regulations and high labor costs moved much of the production abroad. In the 2000s, China employed a strategic approach to reshape the market dynamics: By flooding the global market with rare earths at lower prices, the PRC monopolized rare earths as both producer and supplier.
This reliance on China and shortage in our own country is of concern beyond the immediate moments. American wars – including those in which both sides employ cutting-edge technology such as World Wars I and II and the Korean War – tend to grow into protracted conflicts, lasting much longer than anticipated. In a war with China, all military services will need to resource deploying and deployed units with munitions for a long war. The U.S. military does not have enough Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles or Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles required for a sustained conflict with the PLA. Right now, those cupboards are empty. Should the United States find itself amidst a shooting war with China, the defense industrial base does not have a way to domestically refine sufficient rare earth minerals to pump out munitions.
Rather than advancing efforts to boost internal resources, the Biden administration restricts access to mineral-abundant lands in the U.S., impeding potential projects in their early stages, revoking existing leases, and suggesting additional obstacles for mining operations. This approach starkly contrasts with the actions required to strengthen our mineral resource independence.
The extraction of rare earth elements often involves significant land disruption and the use of hazardous chemicals, potentially leading to soil and water pollution. Furthermore, the processing of these minerals can produce toxic waste, posing risks to both ecosystems and local communities. To mitigate these environmental impacts, it is essential to couple any increase in rare earth mining and processing with strict environmental regulations and the adoption of advanced, cleaner technologies. Investments by the U.S. Department of Defense in research for more sustainable extraction methods are also necessary.
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Before the 1980s, the United States was the global leader in the rare earths market. Since then, increasing environmental regulations and high labor costs moved much of the production abroad. In the 2000s, China employed a strategic approach to reshape the market dynamics: By flooding the global market with rare earths at lower prices, the PRC monopolized rare earths as both producer and supplier.
This reliance on China and shortage in our own country is of concern beyond the immediate moments. American wars – including those in which both sides employ cutting-edge technology such as World Wars I and II and the Korean War – tend to grow into protracted conflicts, lasting much longer than anticipated. In a war with China, all military services will need to resource deploying and deployed units with munitions for a long war. The U.S. military does not have enough Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles or Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles required for a sustained conflict with the PLA. Right now, those cupboards are empty. Should the United States find itself amidst a shooting war with China, the defense industrial base does not have a way to domestically refine sufficient rare earth minerals to pump out munitions.
Rather than advancing efforts to boost internal resources, the Biden administration restricts access to mineral-abundant lands in the U.S., impeding potential projects in their early stages, revoking existing leases, and suggesting additional obstacles for mining operations. This approach starkly contrasts with the actions required to strengthen our mineral resource independence.
The extraction of rare earth elements often involves significant land disruption and the use of hazardous chemicals, potentially leading to soil and water pollution. Furthermore, the processing of these minerals can produce toxic waste, posing risks to both ecosystems and local communities. To mitigate these environmental impacts, it is essential to couple any increase in rare earth mining and processing with strict environmental regulations and the adoption of advanced, cleaner technologies. Investments by the U.S. Department of Defense in research for more sustainable extraction methods are also necessary.
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