Rare Earth Politics across Time, Space, and Scale

Abstract

The seventeen elements on the periodic table collectively known as “rare earths” or “rare earth metals” moved from a mostly ignored topic in middle school science classes to front page news in every major newspaper and a top level concern in every foreign ministry, seemingly overnight. By now, most know that they have become critical in high-tech electronics, communications and energy sectors, among other uses. And global demand for rare earths has grown substantially since the 1990s. More surprising to many is that rare earths are not rare. There are lots of them, in many parts of the world.There is no “Persian Gulf” of rare earth reserves. But their production is not distributed globally; rather, they are highly concentrated in China, which has what Sophia Kalantzakos calls a “near monopoly” on these globally critical resources. This fact helps to explain why rare earths are now famous, and infamously politicized.