The race for Lithium Coltan and Rare Earth Metals is on

The race to control rare resources

The financial crisis has shown that speculation, funds, and credit default swaps create a huge amount of virtual wealth, but the real economic motor is driven by the manufacture of products using the earth's natural resources. The race is already on to control rare resources like lanthanum, scandium and thulium; essential for hi-tec but everyday products such as computers and mobile phones.Even without environmental regulations, China has more deposits. We simply don't know where the rare earth minerals are.What a coincidence how the U.S just happened to find those resources in Afghanistan! the regulations that restrict mining and exploration in the western/developed world, do not apply to the likes of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) South America and China.