It may turn out the real key to a Green Technology Revolution is not political will, but rather rare earth metals.
Rare earth metals, located on the bottom of the periodic table of contents, are essential for the creation of batteries. As a result they are critical to hybrid and electric cars, wind turbines, and much of the world's alternative energy plans.
So, what's the deal with these rare earth metals? Well, one issue is that 95% of the supplies currently come from China. And, with China's growing renewable energy ambitions, they are beginning to become rare earth metal misers.
Watch this PBS investigative report to get a real look into the rare earth metal world:
You can read the full transcript of this report at PBS Newshour.
Image credit: News of Tungsten
Nathanael Baker is the Managing Editor of EnergyBoom. He has researched and reported on the issues of renewable energy, sustainability, and climate change for over two years. He has provided research to the New York Times and The Economist, as well as being published on different media outlets including, The Energy Collective.
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