Fracking - notes

Noticed in the news that several of China's rare earth mines will be closed for another month.  They reported that this is intended to drive the prices up, as they have been dropping.  China produces 97% of the world's rare earth.

Rare earth elements are important in the production of mobile phones, televisions, laptops; solar cells and wind turbines.

Fracking is also used in mining rare earth; and problems of pollution from that reached such proportions 10 years ago that safer methods had to be sought; mining companies have to be able to make intelligent announcements that their manufacturing process is safe.

David T. Stephenson (May 2012) and Renee Cho (September 2012) both talk on aspects of rare earth mining.

China Windpower Centre lists quite a lot of wind turbine manufacturers.  Wikipedia's list is more international.

So far, no mention of coal seam gas mining when discussing fracking : Cho quotes the Chinese Society for Rare Earth estimating that "that the refinement of one ton of rare earth metals results in 75 cubic meters of acidic wastewater and one ton of radioactive residue."

The American EPA issued a study in 2012, completed in 2011 when there was already a downtreend in prices for Rare Earth Elements (REE), 

Rare Earth Elements A Review of Production, Processing, Recycling and Associated Environmental Issues

Fracking is getting safer ... says Jon Entine, introducing a university-funded independant study. With such credentials the report is taken as correct. Brian Westernhaus in New Fracking Technology to Bring Huge Supplies of Oil and Gas to the Market describes developments in the process; and the very competitive nature of the industry.

Malaysia demonstration against Australian Rare Earth mine (Dec 31, 2012)

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A 60-minute article from June 2011 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PELxZ3K2o0c&feature=youtu.be

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This animation of hydraulic fracking mentions that the gas and oil have been there for tens of millions of years; and does not give details of how the contaminated water is removed; just says follows strict guidelines

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Back to NSW; fracking may be safer but some people dont want it; others make money from it.  

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