Webinar: China's Influence over Rare Earth Medals

Over the years, China has developed a near monopoly over the extraction and refinement of Rare Earth Elements (REE), the necessary components of products such as cellphones, hard drives, hybrid vehicles, and flat-screen TVs. But, as China’s influence over REE and the supply chains grows, many nations are searching for solutions that limit their environmental impact and exclude China from their production. This, in turn, is causing China to retaliate in uncertain ways. What exactly are these elements, how do they fit into the global supply chain, and why should we care that China has a monopoly over their extraction? And what can be done about the environmental impact of REE mining causing natural disasters? Join FPRI’s June Teufel Dreyer and the University of Delaware’s Saleem Ali and Julie Klinger to explore these questions and yours in this installment of the FPRI-UDel First State Series. The First State Series is a new collaboration between FPRI and the University of Delaware. Hosted by Dr. Saleem Ali, this series draws on FPRI’s vast network of scholars and outside experts to highlight the the intersection of ecology, the environment, and foreign policy. Dr. Ali is an environmental security scholar who holds the Blue and Gold Distinguished Professorship in Energy and the Environment at the University of Delaware, and is also a Senior Fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Sustainable Investment.