The price of the rare earth metals the world buys from China | BBC News
China has a tight grip on the supply of rare earth minerals used in everyday products like smartphones and TV screens.
But the BBC has discovered that Beijing’s dominance of the market comes at a huge environmental cost.
The BBC’s Laura Bicker has travelled to two of the country’s largest mining zones where polluted water and contaminated soils are the toxic legacies of mineral mining.
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40 Comments
你是瞎吗？你所谓的污染周边都是绿化。它们是怎么活的？
this is the BBC i know… anti china again!!
So China's the bad guy as usual. Just don't buy rare earths from them, really simple actually.
You can always go back to horse carriages, coal stoves, cricket, needleworks and book clubs. Revival of the.empire, surely some must love that.
Yeah as a chinese i would be glad if western countries can produce their own rare earth. I wany my home province to be naturally intact and green, free from greedy businessmen and officials.
Sick of hearing about this and then hearing about how EV's are better for the environment. Such hypocrisy.
穿西装了吗？说谢谢了吗？哦，没有啊，那就滚远点！就不卖，气死你🤣🤣🤣
what about Gaza?
BBC = Bullshit Broadcasting Centre
I’m watching this with rare earth metals in my phone no way out of the loop unfortunately and china dont process all of the rare earth metals 😂bbc
Ah yes, an on brand BBC “but at what cost?” 😂
Seems all tracing back to respectful economist Adam Smith who “forgot” to account for environmental costs in the “invisible hands” of free market capitalism he imagined some 238 years ago, and he didn’t expect the world didn’t improve the economic model for too long…
They have billion people buy and keep them issues over there.
Cheaper than human dogs 😂😂😂😂😂
Who else is here for BSB entertainment? 😂😂😂
我是中国人，看了bbc精心制作的视频，我才发现中国为了稀土真的牺牲太多了。
强烈呼吁限制稀土生产，改善环境。
我们只需要满足我们的国内需求就可以了。
But at what cost😂😂😂😂
Lol
Come and document what western companies have done in Africa, hypocrites
these "rare earth" minerals are not something that is only available in China.
they are available in Europe and the USA and Austrialia and Africa
we (the "civilised western world") could produce it, more ecologically and with human rights, BUT, it would cost more …
AND the nimbys don't want it anywhere near their summer holiday homes
and when the consumers would prefer to save 50p, what hope is there for a product that might cost an extra £10
Stop blaming and complaining, just stop buying rare from China since you hypocrites are so concern about the environment in China.
为了环保，中国应该禁止出口稀土。
That's a lot of smart phone.😛
Thank you to the BBC for the fair reporting. After watching this video, I believe friends from all over the world understand how serious the damage to the environment caused by rare earth elements is. That's why we limit exports; let this pain remain in our soil.
Its just a rephrase of "at what cost"
The familiar BBC smearing on China is back. On the one hands, complaining the pollution, while on the other hand asking to relax the rare earth export restrictions.
BTW, China is keeping developing more advanced technologies to reduce the pollution for decades.
No audio
If you can completely avoid using products with rare earths you can blame China! The hypocrisy is obvious!
Tons of Chinese bots in the comments again.
Isn’t YouTube banned in your country?? The hypocrisy is crazy.
China and the Chinese peasants are trying to save your iPhone！Have you said thank you once?👈🧔🤛
Since we know where this rare earth are stored, why can’t we just send troops to get them?
When the buying stops, the pollution can too 😂
So is this a call for boycotting Chinese Rare Earths? Or an excuse as to why the "civilised" West is not doing it?
Yea, I am glad to say I know when I see a propaganda vid. There is always a case like this in every country, but hey evil CCP is easier to sell than the big corporation that owns the media.
It is very tragic because one cannot eat minerals
Familiar FILLTERS are coming back, good job BBC!
Simple, just don't buy anything rare earths related products from China, and problems solved!!!
xhina buying over and taking out leases on lands in poorer or VULNERABLE countries like sri Lanka which xhina has forced into a debt trap in order to mine it's resources. While the leaders of these coutries deny financial assistance to it's poor ill-educated and under' or mis- informed citizens. Leaders allow xhina to plunder and they pocket the payments coming from xhina. America should control r.e.e. responsibly otherwise wars will escalate as r.e.e. is used to build advanced armaments The rest of the world support America in this pursuit especially mine owners south-america & All of africa
China should stop exporting rare earths due to environmental degradation.
Many other countries have rare earths , but nobody else wants to deal with the damage it makes to process them , , In the UK Ed Millaband is pushing his 0% Green Plan , but this is the real cost that they keep hidden , out of sight out of mind , Nuclear and North sea gas and oil would be greener and cheaper
All the lefties… With their heads stuck in their phones… Are outraged! 😂