Will Rare Earths Be Supported In Biden's D.P.A. Order?
President Joe Biden has just announced he will be using the Defense Production Act of 1950 to support the mining of some critical minerals, to ensure that America produces more of these elements that are necessary for the high-tech world we live in. This is important, as we've all seen the automobile industry struggle to build cars when things like computer chips are in short supply. The scarcity of one product (or even one element of one product) has ripple effects throughout all sorts of supply chains. It's not just cars, either -- the biggest thing Biden's new order addresses is the minerals needed for the batteries which power hundreds of millions of the devices which are now almost necessary for modern life. But I have to wonder whether this is going to include rare earth elements -- because it really should.
Here is the relevant text from the Memorandum For The Secretary Of Defense the White House just published:
It is the policy of my Administration that ensuring a robust, resilient, sustainable, and environmentally responsible domestic industrial base to meet the requirements of the clean energy economy, such as the production of large-capacity batteries, is essential to our national security and the development and preservation of domestic critical infrastructure.
The United States depends on unreliable foreign sources for many of the strategic and critical materials necessary for the clean energy transition -- such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite, and manganese for large-capacity batteries. Demand for such materials is projected to increase exponentially as the world transitions to a clean energy economy.
To promote the national defense, the United States must secure a reliable and sustainable supply of such strategic and critical materials. The United States shall, to the extent consistent with the promotion of the national defense, secure the supply of such materials through environmentally responsible domestic mining and processing; recycling and reuse; and recovery from unconventional and secondary sources, such as mine waste.
These actions shall be conducted, to the extent consistent with the promotion of the national defense and applicable law, with strong environmental, sustainability, safety, labor, Tribal consultation, and impacted community engagement standards, to rebuild and maintain American expertise and productive capacity in these critical sectors.
This is all good news, as far as it goes. Some in the mining industry are already saying it doesn't go far enough, since there are provisions within the D.P.A. that could go further than the Biden order currently goes (such as loans or direct purchase of the elements). But it's a step in the right direction, at least. What I wonder, though, is whether this will include support for the rare earth mine in Mountain Pass, California.
The language of the order is a wee bit vague on what it covers: "many of the strategic and critical materials necessary for the clean energy transition -- such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite, and manganese for large-capacity batteries." Um... "such as"? This implies that that list isn't definitive and instead just representational. Which could be understandable, since the list of rare earth minerals is long and full of unfamiliar elements (such as: gadolinium, dysprosium, neodymium, and praseodymium, just to give a few examples). These don't roll off the tongue of most Americans the way that "lithium" or "nickel" does, so perhaps the White House has a more extensive (and more technical) list it has provided to the Defense Department.
Unfamiliar though they may be, the rare earths are also very strategic elements in the technology of today. Which is what brought this one particular mine to my attention, over a decade ago:
And although it's hard to believe when you see the place today, the Mountain Pass rare earth mine was the world's largest supplier of rare earth elements, from the 1960s to the 1980s. You can see, by looking at a chart of worldwide rare earth production, that they even named the "era" for the Mountain Pass mine. At one point, Mountain Pass was producing 70 percent of the world's supply of rare earths.
Since then, China has pretty much cornered the market (again, take a look at that chart). Which is why this is even an issue worth talking about. China today, it is estimated, controls a whopping 97 percent of the world's rare earth production. This is a disturbing development, because rare earths are used in a lot of high-tech stuff. Before the era of home computers, rare earths were mostly used (in consumer products) in color cathode-ray tubes (television sets, in other words), to get the brightest reds to appear on the screen. Nowadays, rare earths are used not only in high tech, but also in green tech: cell phones, hard drives, fluorescent lights, batteries for hybrid and electric automobiles, and in advanced magnets (used in all sorts of things, windmill turbines being just one). They are also critical for many military technologies, which is even more disturbing.
China discovered that the tailings from a mine they already had (producing other elements) were rich in rare earths, so they were able to drastically undercut the world in production prices (since they were already mining the site for other reasons). So they pretty much took over the market. And then they started using this near-monopoly as leverage in geopolitics -- which caused some understandable concern.
I wrote about the U.S. mine again a few years later, after the owners announced the mine had started back up again (largely due to this concern). According to Wikipedia, the mine and processing plant were "in full production" in 2015 -- when the company filed for bankruptcy. After emerging from this process (with a few corporate name and ownership changes), "MP Materials resumed mining and refining operations in January 2018." Then in 2019 the trade war with China intensified, making getting the mine fully operational (from ore to finished product) even more critical.
From the MP Materials website (the current corporate owner of the mine), here's how they say things stand:
MP Materials acquired Mountain Pass in 2017 after the site's previous owner experienced severe operational and financial challenges. At the time, the site was cold-idled with eight employees. Almost immediately, new management restarted production and embarked on a three-stage plan to fulfill our Mission to restore the full rare earth supply chain to the United States.
Since restarting operations, MP Materials has overcome the operational challenges faced by the site's previous owner and scaled production at Mountain Pass dramatically. In 2020, MP Materials produced more than 38,500mt ["metric tons," assumably] of rare earths in concentrate, representing more than 15% of global consumption and an all-time high in the 60-year history of Mountain Pass. The mixed rare earth concentrated [sic] we produce today is an intermediate product that requires further processing in Asia.
Following completion of our Stage II optimization project, expected in 2022, MP Materials will re-commission the integrated processing facilities at Mountain Pass. Concurrently, the MP Materials Stage III team is working to restore the capacity to manufacture rare earth metals and permanent magnets in the United States.
The fulfillment of our Mission will set the foundation for a renewed, self-sufficient, and resilient American rare earth industry amidst the backdrop of a generational industrial renaissance towards electrification and decarbonization.
So while they're making progress, they haven't gotten fully up to speed quite yet. Which means some federal help under the Defense Production Act might actually help this process along, perhaps. Especially since from their first reopening back in 2012, they have modernized their extraction process to be much more "green" -- which already addresses the concerns laid out in Biden's memo that such mining be "environmentally responsible." While other facilities might still need to modernize, this mine already has.
I am no mining expert, I will fully admit. I don't know all the ins and outs of what is going on with these supply chains. I was only made aware of the mine after driving past it a while back on a trip to Las Vegas, and it has interested me ever since.
It interests me because having the United States now able to produce (from Wikipedia, again) "15.8% of the world's rare-earth production" sounds like a good thing to me. In that article I wrote back in 2010, the company claimed it could eventually reach a capacity of 40,000 tons per year. From their webpage, they have now hit 38,500 tons per year, which seems like a huge success story.
So I hope that Biden's new order activating certain parts of the Defense Production Act actually does (or will) include any support this mine can get to get fully operational (from beginning to end) as soon as possible. Unlike the other minerals that the order actually itemizes, for all of these rare earth elements there is only one mine in the entire country capable of producing them. That's a shaky enough supply chain to begin with (as the mine's financial troubles seem to indicate), but "one producing mine" is a whole lot better than "no mines -- they're all in China," these days.
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
if we can support rare earths, why not pie?
Russ,
These are inappropriate conversations to have with such a young child. But a teenager who seeks out a trusted educator with questions that they do not feel they can ask their parents about… what could be inappropriate when it is the child initiating the conversation?
Absolutely NOTHING..
And guess what?? The FL law does NOTHING to prevent that and says NOTHING that would stop something like that..
Personally, if I was a teacher who was approached by a 5yr old in that manner, I would advise the child to talk to their parents.. But that's just my personal opinion..
The FL Law doesn't prevent your scenario in any way, shape or form...
If a child has specific questions or concerns on a subject, how can you say it is not appropriate to have a conversation with them?
No one is saying that it's not appropriate.. The FL Law is not preventing such a discussion..
I’m talking about a kid having wrestled with a question for a long time and finally having the courage to ask it. Do you want a teacher turning away that child out of fear of losing their job if someone else — a person who didn’t see the desperation to talk to someone on the face of the child — does not think the child deserved answers???
I absolutely agree that the child deserves answers.. Personally, as a fictional teacher, I would prefer a 5yr old gets those answers from their parents, but that's just me..
I think the problem here, Russ is you have bought into the hysterical Democrat propaganda regarding the Florida Law...
Actually read the law, if you could, then report back here..
JL,
i don't think there's been an education law in the last thirty years that hasn't ended up making teachers' lives worse.
Until now.. :D
This law makes kindergarten teachers jobs EASIER..
They don't have to worry about being forced to teach sex stuff to kindergartners..
I would think that would make ANY teacher VERY happy..
Unless said teacher WANTS to teach sex stuff to kindergartners...
Then I would wonder if that teacher should actually be teaching kindergartners, eh??
What is it about Democrats that they can't let kids be kids..
We're talking FIVE year olds fer christ's sake!!
They are barely past the the potty training stage and Democrats want to teach gender mutations and such to them???
Do 5 and 6 yr olds REALLY need to be learning that crap??
Whacked!! Totally and completely whacked...
Governor Ron DeSantis has got it going on!!! :D
DeSantis is making FLorida a Red-Locked state.. Much like California is a Blue-Locked state. :D
Lovin' it!! :D
Democrats bring about the very society that they accused the election of President Trump would herald..
It's as I have stated on several occasions and provided FACTS to support..
Democrats are everything they accuse President Trump of being..
This is so factually accurate, it's SCARY!
Yep, yep, yep...
Leave it to the Democrats to use Orwell's 1984 as a playbook...
I have only quoted a few parts of this article which is much MUCH longer.. I would definitely recommend ya'all read it..
It actually might open your eyes to the REAL threat that this country faces...
It ain't from President Trump..
The disease is Democrat.. President Trump is the cure...
Disney has special privileges in Florida. They are allowed to essentially be their own government and not be subject to taxes and other governance from Orange County FL..
FL lawmakers are considering taking those special privileges and protections away from Disney and it would be subject to the laws and taxes of Orange County..
This would be a HUGE hit to Disney and it's bottom live..
Outgoing CEO Bob Iger was very politically active... Incoming CEO Chapek wants to keep Disney's nose out of politics and be true to Disney's mission statement..
But Iger has postponed his departure, so it looks like Disney is going to jump hip deep into politics..
Funny how Disney can be so against the FL law, but then jump into bed with China who has a HORRID record on human rights..
Disney pushing gender bending mutations and such is also going to KILL Disney's reputation as a family friendly place...
Ooops.. Forgot the link..
Disney employee issues dire warning about the economic consequences of new 'leftward lurch'
Florida legislators have floated the idea of revoking Walt Disney World's special self-governance
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/disney-employee-issues-dire-warning-about-the-economic-consequences-of-new-leftward-lurch
If Disney is going to abuse it's special privileges and considerations, then it should LOSE them...
Biden said that Putin cannot remain in power..
"Well, that's different"
-Memphis, HAPPY FEET
Reposted for clarity...
Biden said that Putin cannot remain in power..
What is Biden going to do when Putin DOES remain in power?? :^/
Bash,
Well, I see someone has bought into DeSantis's propaganda...
Actually, the facts clearly prove that it is you buying into Democrat propaganda..
The FL Parental Rights Law says NOTHING that would prevent children from receiving counseling on sexual issues..
And AGAIN, I have to ask.. Why are you Democrats so INSISTENT on having sexual discussions with 4, 5 and 6 yr olds???
Why do Democrats want teachers to INTRODUCE and LEAD group discussions about alternative lifestyles with 4, 5 and 6 yr olds??
Yunno.. There is a word for that..
It's called "GROOMING".. Why are Democrats so insistent about grooming and sexualizing very young children???
Hmmmmmmmm????
No one wants to answer that..
I guess that's an answer in itself..
"Silence Gives Assent"
-The Democrat Party
Not just Florida: States weigh bills banning gender ID and sexual orientation instruction
At least six other states are considering measures similar to what Florida passed
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/states-weigh-measures-preventing-gender-identity-sexual-orientation-discussions-schools
GOOD...
NO GROOMING FOR DEMOCRATS..
TEACHERS!!! LEAVE THOSE KIDS ALONE!!!!!
How much does Disney REALLY care about gay people??
It's all just blatant virtue posturing...
Disney gets all hysterical about a simple Parental Rights In Education in Florida.. Similar laws are in place ALL over the country..
Yet Disney does business with countries that actually put gay people TO DEATH....
Yea... No hypocrisy there, eh?? :^/
Hypocrisy. It's not a bug in Democrat programming. It's a feature.
This is ya'all's Democrat Party.. :^/
Hypocrisy. It's not a bug in Democrat programming. It's a feature.
The vast majority of 2020 Election fraud occurred BEFORE the election..
Fortunately, numerous states are banning Zuckerberg from buying any more election boards and that number is rising...
Disneycrats...
A mickey mouse outfit... :D
Disneycrats and SixFlagicans is just as descriptive, but not as catchy as Deathocrats and Republikillers.
Hate ta break it to ya, but the latter ain't that catchy either... :D
meh... A bit more creative... :D
The rarest of all earth "elements" in this country is common sense.
CRS...
Word...
Okay, Michale ...
Is Putin toast or will he be in power for life.
Make up your mind, man! :)
Le sens commun n'est pas si commun
~voltaire
Why do Democrats want teachers to INTRODUCE and LEAD group discussions about alternative lifestyles with 4, 5 and 6 yr olds??
Why must you lead with a blatant appeal to emotion? Is this a problem in Florida? Can you come up with with actual examples? Not he said, she said conservative rag opinion pieces but actual cases? Then show that they are within a couple of magnitudes of priests grooming of young kids for abuse and I might be impressed. More so if you can point to DeSantis legislation dealing with said church based abuse?
Beyond that, even if your appeal to emotion was a real problem, this bill is not the solution. It's too vaguely worded and worst of all has an extremely odious enforcement mechanism. This right to sue for money/bounty crap can't be struct down soon enough as it is becoming a cancer on the legislative class regardless of party.
If even a modicum of common sense prevailed, there would be no war in Ukraine and no suffering and death over a European security alliance.
just so everyone knows, tonight i'm taking leave from my job and boarding a flight for taiwan. My wife and i will be teaching english specifically to those families who may have to emigrate to the US as political refugees if and when China invades. i'm very excited though, as my sons will have a chance to learn mandarin.
have a great day!
JL
Liz,
I don't think I have ever passed judgement on what happens to Putin..
It's very unlikely he will be deposed..
Have a great trip, Joshua! :-)
Shocking. Positively shocking.
JL
just so everyone knows, tonight i'm taking leave from my job and boarding a flight for taiwan. My wife and i will be teaching english specifically to those families who may have to emigrate to the US as political refugees if and when China invades. i'm very excited though, as my sons will have a chance to learn mandarin.
Are you SURE this is the best time to be in Taiwan???
How long ya'all gonna be there??
Joshua,
When you have a few spare moments, please keep us posted on how you and your wife are doing and how your work is progressing.
Take good care!
Bash,
Beyond that, even if your appeal to emotion was a real problem, this bill is not the solution. It's too vaguely worded and worst of all has an extremely odious enforcement mechanism.
Prove it..
It's not a pretty picture for Democrats and it's getting worser and worser every day...
Prove it..
OK
Nothing in the text is vaguely worded and there is nothing odious about the enforcement mechanism..
And you still have yet to answer the over-arching question..
WHY are Democrats so desperate to groom kindergartners for sexual activity, alternate lifestyles and gender bending mutations??
Saying it's an emotional argument doesn't change the fact that it's also a FACTUAL argument as well..
5 yr olds DON'T need teaching lessons in sexual activity..
PERIOD..
You and your Democrats seem to think that they do..
Why is that???
authorizing a parent to bring an action against a school district to obtain a declaratory judgment that a school district procedure or practice violates certain provisions of law; providing for the additional award of injunctive relief, damages, and reasonable attorney fees and court costs to certain parents;
Odious.
3. Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.
Vague.
Who decides what is "age-appropriate"? The parent who is suing? The Judge?
Now your turn: prove "Why do Democrats want teachers to INTRODUCE and LEAD group discussions about alternative lifestyles with 4, 5 and 6 yr olds??" is a real problem in Florida...
And you still have yet to answer the over-arching question..
You mean why have I not fallen for your appeal to emotion? Prove it's a real problem.
You mean why have I not fallen for your appeal to emotion? Prove it's a real problem.
It's CHILDREN...
It's a sufficient possibility to put laws in place to PREVENT such grooming and exploitation of children..
WHY are you so adamant about wanting to have teachers be able to sexually groom kindergartners??
authorizing a parent to bring an action against a school district to obtain a declaratory judgment that a school district procedure or practice violates certain provisions of law; providing for the additional award of injunctive relief, damages, and reasonable attorney fees and court costs to certain parents;
Nothing odious about it..
Many examples of this exact kind of judicial and punitive relief exits in our civil law system..
Getting a little hysterical, eh Bash?? :D
Who decides what is "age-appropriate"? The parent who is suing? The Judge?
The parents, of course..
Do you have a PROBLEM with parents raising their children??
While we are on the subject of flights of fantasy, the abominable snowman might come down for some fun in the sun and scare the kiddos, DeSantis better ban him. Your Trumpian pal Greene has a thing for Jewish space lasers, DeSantis better ban those as well...
Many examples of this exact kind of judicial and punitive relief exits in our civil law system..
Then lets see some Florida examples.
[51] was aimed at the appeal to emotion...
Getting a little hysterical, eh Bash?? :D
Your the one dancing around the issue and making stuff up about children. A little self reflection in need?
Yes, China produces 140,000 tons a year and has 44 million tons in reserve.
FUN FACT
Afghanistan has an estimated 1.4 million tons of rare earths or ten times Chinese annual production.
Yes, that Afghanistan.
[26]
C. R. Stucki wrote:
The rarest of all earth "elements" in this country is common sense.
Bless you, my fellow mountain man! Truer words were never spoken, yea verily.
As it turned out, those lacking common sense got to mislable it common sense rather than calling it rare and celebrated -- you need to listen up sense.
[46]
Michale, I've no idea why you post so much alternative right-wing universe stuff down here.
For the record, I'm a big boy now and I can and do go to Fox and Newsmax and OAN all by myself!
But the sheer volume makes my eyes glaze over and I once again scroll, something I was hoping wouldn't happen. I missed a lot of the back and forth, but this caught my eye:
It's a sufficient possibility to put laws in place to PREVENT such grooming and exploitation of children...
You posted this and you say Bashi's hysterical? Do you really believe this statement?
Why that's... that's...hysterical!
Wow. Just wow.;)
Yo, nypoet22 et ux I think this great and I, too, want regular boots on the ground updates. Mazeltov!
I've become a big fan of Beau of the Fifth Column's Rule 303:
If you have the means at hand you have a responsibility to act.
I've studied and am following Taiwan and China with an emphasis on the military side.
Please understand that China doesn't have the equipment nor the skill set to invade Taiwan and they won't have it for years or a decade. Period. They are simply stuck on their own shores.
Bigger picture:
China is aging which means there are fewer and fewer productive citizens to support more and more retirees.
This means that China will have to choose between building their military or keeping living standards in the country high enough to avoid instability.
In the event of war over Taiwan China is easily cut off from oil and all the resources she needs. Heck, the Japanese, South Korean and Australian Navies might not even need us Yanks.
China has one true allie, North Korea, and everyone else in their neighborhood hates them.
So go do this service with confidence that you won't be endangered by the Chinese.
Ain't fergot, Elizabeth Miller!
You motivated me to do some
research, starting with this from 2015.
As such I'm still digesting this persuasive new information. Stay tuned.
april fool! i actually laid the taiwan thing on my wife as well, and it took her a minute before she caught on.
Michale,
We're talking FIVE year olds fer christ's sake!!
They are barely past the the potty training stage and Democrats want to teach gender mutations and such to them???
Do 5 and 6 yr olds REALLY need to be learning that crap??
Whacked!! Totally and completely whacked...
NO!!! YOU, ALONE, ARE TALKING ABOUT FIVE YEAR OLDS! Has there been a single kindergarten teacher in Florida accused of teaching “gender mutations and such” as part of their lesson plans?
And “mutants”? Really? Something to fear? Will you point and stare? Whisper quietly — but loud enough so they will know without a doubt that they are being talked about — what FREAKS those kids are who simply want to be their authentic selves but that you feel they have no right to be.
Again, this law is meant to attack a mythical problem that we already have laws in place that would make explicit conversations with minors a criminal offense — this law allows for parents to sue schools for speech that does not meet the criteria to be considered criminal, but that they feel their child should not be exposed to.
Republicans — their party is focused on making sure those participate on high school girl’s track teams do not have any advantages over other participants! The unspoken problem plaguing our nation for decades!