Tim Maughan BBC Future
From where I'm standing, the city-sized Baogang
Steel and Rare Earth complex dominates the horizon, its endless cooling
towers and chimneys reaching up into grey, washed-out sky. Between it
and me, stretching into the distance, lies an artificial lake filled
with a black, barely-liquid, toxic sludge.
Dozens of pipes line the shore, churning out a
torrent of thick, black, chemical waste from the refineries that
surround the lake. The smell of sulphur and the roar of the pipes
invades my senses. It feels like hell on Earth.
.............
It is one of the world’s biggest suppliers of “rare earth” minerals.
These elements can be found in everything from magnets in wind turbines
and electric car motors, to the electronic guts of smartphones and
flatscreen TVs. In 2009 China produced 95% of the world's supply of these elements, and it's estimated that the Bayan Obo mines just north of Baotou contain 70% of the world's reserves. But, as we would discover, at what cost?
...........To Read More....
No comments:
Post a Comment