The planet has limited resources of several important elements, many of which can do what no other element can. Here's what's left of the periodic table, and what would happen if we run out
Most congresspeople probably haven't thought about chemistry since high school, but they'll soon have to in order to protect the economy. In March, Colorado representative Mike Coffman introduced a bill to ramp up mining of 17 "rare-earth" elements, so called because large deposits of them are hard to find. Some are essential for electric auto motors and laser defense systems, and with demand for those rising, now is thetime to stock up.
Most congresspeople probably haven't thought about chemistry since high school, but they'll soon have to in order to protect the economy. In March, Colorado representative Mike Coffman introduced a bill to ramp up mining of 17 "rare-earth" elements, so called because large deposits of them are hard to find. Some are essential for electric auto motors and laser defense systems, and with demand for those rising, now is thetime to stock up.
Rare-earths combine particularly easily with other elements to form useful compounds and alloys, such as neodymium-iron-boron, the strongest, lightest magnet for motors. "No other element can do that," says Jack Lifton, an independent metals consultant. "Once we've used them up, the periodic table is closed for business." Similar stories are playing out across the table. For many elements, we'll eventually need to find more, recycle, or move on to another. Launch the gallery for a status report for 10 of them.
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Related?
Anyone ever hear of F$%&kin recycling?
A new draft report by the International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management, sponsored by the UN Environment Programme, notes that “despite concern among the clean tech industry over scarcity and high prices, only around one per cent of these crucial high-tech metals are recycled, with the rest discarded and thrown away at the end of a product's life.”
Unless recycling rates are dramatically increased, the report warns, these vital raw materials could become "essentially unavailable for use in modern technology."
In addition to stretching supplies of important raw materials, better recycling of cell phones and other electronics gear would save millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions, the report adds. (Today, less than 10 percent of cell phones worldwide are recycled properly.) Such recycling could also unlock new supplies of more common but important metals such as copper and steel.
