"Rare earth metals have emerged as one of the most sought after resources in [the] commodities boom. Minerals present in the mud include gadolinium, lutetium, terbium and dysprosium." Some of these are used in the manufacture of those eco-friendly hybrid cars. Here is a handy image with notes about which minerals are used in the Prius, created by Lee Allison, state geologist and Director of the Arizona Geological Survey. Gadolinium is used in x-ray systems, CDs, and nuclear medicine.
The "commodities boom." Does that include frac sand? The excitement and anticipation of profits by scooping tons of mud off the ocean floor makes me sick. To what lengths will we continue our pillaging of the very body that bears us and makes us human? We are all complicit, here in the privileged West. I am sick to death of new solutions and technologies that are really assassination attempts. While we consume the death of the oceans and the forests and the ecological systems that continue to get in the way of our lifestyles, we lose more and more of our humanity.
It all seems part of the end of Empire and it's a long way down yet.
2 comments:
Just saw an article on Huffington Post about a new discovery of rare earth minerals and how wonderful it is because there won't be a delay on the new ipads. Oh glorious day! I'd hate to think of people being separated from their ipads.
Hooray for our impatience and toddler tantrums! We are so pathetic. I'm not surprised.
Post a Comment