Seriously... The Scramble for Rare Earths - 4. The EU's Dependency on China
7 snips
Sep 30, 2022 Europe’s push to power the green transition runs into a hard question: how can it loosen China’s grip on rare earth supplies? The discussion explores diplomacy, mining’s human and environmental costs, efforts to build alternative supply chains, and Ukraine’s mineral wealth amid war. Plus, discover how europium is helping put counterfeiters out of business.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Europium's Versatility
- Europium, a rare earth metal, has diverse applications, from TV screens to Euro banknotes.
- Its presence in banknotes helps prevent counterfeiting, with a record low number of fakes in 2020.
EU's Dependence on China
- The EU heavily relies on China for rare earth metals, including Europium, despite its name.
- This dependency is around 90%, highlighting a strategic vulnerability in the green energy transition.
China's Strategic Advantage
- China's dominance in solar panel production stems from its industrial policy and high domestic demand due to air pollution.
- China strategically uses its green technology advancements as a form of soft diplomacy.