News Japan finds huge rare earth mineral deposits

I think the way its been reported is just wrong chaps, yes it was a Japanese research group that discovered the deposits, but research is pretty much global these days and geologists from all over the world go and study interesting places outside of their home countries - I guess the trips abroad are one of the highlights of being at the top of your field of research- a position I spectacularly failed to reach!

 

A map of the Pacific in the Nature article seems to show that the largest deposits are between Hawaii & S. America.

 

Be interested on how much it costs to mine minerals from the sea bed. Part of the reason China has such a large monopoly is they sell it worldwide cheaper than anyone else can extract it.

 

GENIUS!

 

Yup... prepare to invest.

 

And that argument is based on what exactly?

Sounds pretty simple and cheap to me.

I also think that people saying the US will somehow stake a claim are jumping the gun a bit as well. From reading the article 'around' Hawaii seems to be a pretty general term, especially as the find is also around French Polynesia, (two and a half thousand miles away from Hawaii). I think 'around' in that sense could mean many hundreds of miles away. (It's not like the Pacific is awash with landmarks to point to).

The finds, according to the article, are in international waters, so without being an expert in international maritime law, I'm guessing whoever digs it up keeps it.

Though I am glad the Chinese look to be about to lose their stranglehold on the market, as I don't think it does us well for one nation to corner the market in anything - especially a nation with such a 'flexible' attitude to international law and human rights...

 

"The deposits are in international waters in an area stretching east and west of Hawaii, as well as east of Tahiti in French Polynesia, he said." source

Wonder what the development rights are in international waters, first come first serve?

 

International Seabed Authority gets to make the determination under authority of the UNCLOS treaty of who to give permission to for extracting said material. My guess would be several parties will get rights to this material as long as they follow the rules.

 

Good for them They've been having a crap time economically for... decades, so is good to see this. Will cause 'some' political issues though

 

Yes I was
And also thinking that even though it's all over and done with a long time ago, there are still grudges held by people in both countries.

 

This could really help the USA get out of Debt before declaring bankruptcy, as long as it can be done without destroying the beauty that lays there.

 

They should get BP in on this. Their good at making stuff float to the surface!!

 

They've actually found Mazuma mobiles landfill for all the old phones they buy...

 

Simple, yes. That is a synonym of easy, essentially. However that has *nothing* to do with the cost involved. The amount of acid you need is the main problem.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07/04/japan_discovers_rare_earths_under_pacific/

 

Wonder how much of this is close to NZ controlled territories? Tokelau?

 

They extract it cheaper beacuse they dont care about their labour force- plenty more to replace the ones that die of radiation, from the extraction of the rare minerals.

Alot of stuff gets extracted from the sea bed at current- for instance theres a diamond mining ship of the coast of S Africa.

 

I think you have a point. Looks like I might have to buy the original article.

 

Invest in what, precisely?

 

Don't get it?! Assume this is some sort of game / cult movie geek reference?

 

The USA has large mineral rare earth metal deposits too..they stopped bothering mining alot of theres because the Chinese do it cheaper re the actual demand with there labour costs/lack of health and safety...its a great find but until the Chinese run out from there mines...extracting on there land with cheap labour is cheaper than Japan dragging it up from the seabed..