To the Editor:
Did you know that China refines 90% of rare earth minerals for the world? We dig up rare earth minerals in our rich deposits in Alaska and California and send the soil to China to be refined. China has the world over a barrel.
Rare earth minerals are essential for all of our electronic devices from cars, appliances, computers (cell phones) to military equipment.
Boyd Weaver and coworkers (in Chicago, Ill.) developed the liquid-liquid solvent extraction method that is used by all refineries to refine all of the rare earth in all of the world. Go USA!
If we want security, if we want to bring manufacturing back to the US, we need to build rare-earth refineries here. This may be expensive, but for long-term security and prosperity, this is necessary. We are vulnerable from our dependence on Chinese refineries.
Sincerely,
Judy Schlottach
My data came from Britannica, Processing Ores by Vitalij K. Pechansky Dec 4, 2025
