Rare Earths Leave Toxic Trail to Toyota Prius, Vestas Turbine

Businessweek.com reports Rare earth metals are key to global efforts to switch to cleaner energy.

The editorial is quoted as saying:

With China now shutting down unregulated rare earth mines and slashing exports, users from Toyota Motor Corp. to Vestas Wind Systems A/S, the world’s biggest maker of wind turbines, are concerned that supplies may be constrained. China provides more than 95 percent of global shipments of the 17 rare earth metals, also used in mobile phones, catalysts to reduce automobile exhaust emissions and energy-saving electronics.

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