CHINA CONTROLS HALF THE WORLD’S RARE EARTH MINERALS AND THAT’S A MASSIVE PROBLEM
Rare earth elements sound boring until you realize they’re in everything that makes modern life work: smartphones, electric vehicles, wind turbines, fighter jets, and precision-guided weapons. Without them, your iPhone is a paperweight and your military can’t function. China controls 44 million metric tons of the world’s 91.9 million ton reserve. That’s 48% of the global supply. Brazil comes in second at 21 million tons, but they’re still early in development. The US? Only 1.9 million tons, or 2% of global reserves. This is a national security nightmare. America depends almost entirely on imports and foreign processing to access the materials that power everything from consumer electronics to defense systems. If China decides to cut off supply, the entire Western tech and military industrial base grinds to a halt. Trump recently cut a deal with Xi to keep rare earths flowing in exchange for reduced tariffs. His administration is also funding domestic mining projects and partnering with allies to diversify supply chains. The problem: building that infrastructure takes years, and right now China holds all the cards. Source: Visual Capitalist, ZeroHedge
Life event that changes all: Horse riding accident in Zimbabwe in 1993, a fractured skull et al including bipolar anxiety, chronic fatigue …. co-morbidities (Nietzche 'He who has the reason why can deal with any how' details my health history from 1993 to date). 17th 2017 August operation for breast cancer (no indications just an appointment came from BreastCheck through the Post). Trinity College Dublin Business Economics and Social Studies (but no degree) 1997-2003; UCD 1997/1998 night classes) essays, projects, writings. Trinity Horizon Programme 1997/98 (Centre for Women Studies Trinity College Dublin/St. Patrick's Foundation (Professor McKeon) EU Horizon funded: research study of 15 women (I was one of this group and it became the cornerstone of my journey to now 2017) over 9 mth period diagnosed with depression and their reintegration into society, with special emphasis on work, arts, further education; Notes from time at Trinity Horizon Project 1997/98; Articles written for Irishhealth.com 2003/2004; St Patricks Foundation monthly lecture notes for a specific period in time; Selection of Poetry including poems written by people I know; Quotations 1998-2017; other writings mainly with theme of social justice under the heading Citizen Journalism Ireland. Letters written to friends about life in Zimbabwe; Family history including Michael Comyn KC, my grandfather, my grandmother's family, the O'Donnellan ffrench Blake-Forsters; Moral wrong: An acrimonious divorce but the real injustice was the Catholic Church granting an annulment – you can read it and make your own judgment, I have mine. Topics I have written about include annual Brain Awareness week, Mashonaland Irish Associataion in Zimbabwe, Suicide (a life sentence to those left behind); Nostalgia: Tara Hill, Co. Meath.
CHINA CONTROLS HALF THE WORLD’S RARE EARTH MINERALS AND THAT’S A MASSIVE PROBLEM 
canisgallicus 