Rare Earth Elements, Alaska, China, and U.S.: Closer Look at the Growing Picture

摘要

From food freezers to intricate auto power parts, from laptops to explosively evolving cell phone technology, rare earth elements have most rightfully earned the designation "Secret Ingredients of Everything," as National Geographic (June, 2011) dubbed them. And, although the "rarest REE is nearly 200 times more abundant than gold," (Nat'.l Geog.) the scarcity of economically feasible mining deposits creates the true meaning for their most appropriate "rare" reference. Here at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) two graduate students, Charles Bohart and Elliot Thorum, developed their own independent research program investigating the REE status in the state of Alaska and recently presented their findings to the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce Natural Resources Committee. As is common realization in our state, they verified that "one of the issues in developing and exploring some of these [REE] is just a lack of infrastructure and lack of access," as Thorum began. "For the most part in Alaska, if there is a deposit or reserve more than 50 miles away from a major transportation corridor, then it becomes un-economic."