A workers hold a spade of freshly processed stage one "rare-earth" at a processing plant near Bayon Obo, Inner Mongolia. The plant conducts first stage processing in extremely toxic conditions where workers complain of acid burns and sores as well as head-aches. The production of "rare-earths" is an extremely poisenous process with plants in the U.S. being closed due to environmental concerns. China accounts for some 97% of rare earth consumed world-wide. The "rare...
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A workers hold a spade of freshly processed stage one "rare-earth" at a processing plant near Bayon Obo, Inner Mongolia. The plant conducts first stage processing in extremely toxic conditions where workers complain of acid burns and sores as well as head-aches. The production of "rare-earths" is an extremely poisenous process with plants in the U.S. being closed due to environmental concerns. China accounts for some 97% of rare earth consumed world-wide. The "rare earth elements" are a group of 17 elements that are essential in 25% of modern technology including cell phones, computer hard discs, and electric motors and inparticular green technology such as electric batteries and wind turbines.
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