Long time readers of my blog know that I am interested in the rare earth metals industry. One of the world's leaders is Molycorp (ticker: MCP), which used to be the world's largest miner of rare earths (until the Chinese started producing their huge deposits for much cheaper).
This video shows some serious money being spent on revamping their mine and separation facilities. Nice music too. I would not have posted this if I did not like it...
http://vimeo.com/35227441
I like it!
ReplyDeleteHowever, I noticed the pitch of the big roof was nil. In most of the west, especially the mountain areas, need to have at least a four of five in one pitch to carry the weight of huge snowstorms. Maybe they do not get that much snow.
Anyhow, it is quite the impressive set-up Robert, and I am sure, the envy of the Chinese, who simply dump their hazardous waste and byproduct in to the ground, or the nearest body of water/river. I notice the Chinese are quite backward about pollution, having poisoned all but the very headwaters of most of their fresh water supply. I read a white paper stating they were in negotiations with neighboring countries to secure fresh frigging water!
All that growth must come with tighter regulations surrounding the amount of poison generated in the industrial process. Many of the small scale gold mines dump arsenic and mercury directly in to the ground/rivers, and all for a very short term gain. When I see cheaply produced Chinese goods, irrespective of quality, I cringe at the damage I know to occur in the process. As an American, I am bane to purchase China made goods because of the backward nature of their regulatory process. Huge areas of completely polluted areas exist because of the greed of a few.
Thanks Ancona for the kind words. Their Mountain Pass, California facility probably does not guess much snow, it is not far from Las Vegas, but I do not know at what altitude.
ReplyDeleteI have heard the same re Chinese pollution. But, I am happy to report that despite being CHEAP (and how!), Peruvians do not buy many Chinese bearings!
Yep re water. That will be a big problem for China.