Earth Equity News

Chinese Freeze on Rare-Earth Elements Prods Japan to Mine Electronic Wastes. By Hiroko Tabuchi, NYTimes, 10/5/10. “Rare-earth elements and other minerals that are crucial to many Japanese technologies and have so far come almost exclusively from China, the global leader in rare earth mining. Recent problems with Chinese supplies of rare earths have sent Japanese traders and companies in search of alternative sources… Hopes for a mining comeback lie not underground, but in what Japan refers to as urban mining -- recycling the valuable metals and minerals from the country’s huge stockpiles of used electronics like cellphones and computers.”