Philosophy Wire by Spiros Kakos [2011-03-10]: Rare earth elements are the basis for technology today. They are used in every small and large device you can imagine, from cell phones to high tech TVs and computers. Without these, say goodbye to your brand new Android phone or to your plasma TV. However those elements are...rare to find. Rare for the West that is, since China controls the 97% of all deposits in the whole planet! [source: CNN Edition] And they are not willing to share them... The last rare earth elements mine in the US closed decades ago and now people are concerned of how that situation might evolve... You see, we have leanred that being human means holding a cell phone while pushing keys in a computer. What if all these end? This is the price we pay for being stranded away from our own nature. A small shortage of Lanthanum and everything falls apart...
(c) Philosophy WIRES - Commenting world news from philosophy's perspective...
