International Wyoming Is Rare Earth

[Deorum]

Americans: What Is It.

Ofc, Teddy was responsible for protecting it.

2/3 of adults own guns and yet their gun homicide rate isn't even half of the national average.

It's good.

Owner License Required? No.
State Permit Required? No.
Firearm Registration? No.
Assault Weapon Law? No.
Mag Capacity Restriction? No.
NFA Weapons Restricted? No.
Castle Doctrine? Yes.

Wyoming is windy. Can't wear hats windy. And there isn't a lot of water, or people. Sounds good.

It's fucking savage, and absolutely relentless. The windiest state in the contiguous 48 by far. The winters are so much worse than the Dakotas - an absolute ice box - because of the wind. Most people wouldn't be able to hack a full winter in Wyoming even if they were handed property to live there.

 

[BoomStronk]

Weirdly i was reading a book where it said china has 38 percent of rare earth elements, russia has 10 and states have 1 just as this thread came up

I dont know what to believe lol

Rare Earth Elements: Where in the World Are They?

Rare earth elements are the critical ingredients for a greener economy, making their reserves increasingly valuable to global supply chains.

elements.visualcapitalist.com

Vietnam seems like the big winner here. 19% of world reserves, that's a huge amount for the small size of the country, and they aren't currently producing much of that massive potential.

The inverse of the US, which has only 1.3% of the reserves but is #2 in production behind the behemoth that is China.

 

[Deorum]

Rare Earth Elements: Where in the World Are They?

Rare earth elements are the critical ingredients for a greener economy, making their reserves increasingly valuable to global supply chains.

elements.visualcapitalist.com

Vietnam seems like the big winner here. 19% of world reserves, that's a huge amount for the small size of the country, and they aren't currently producing much of that massive potential.

The inverse of the US, which has only 1.3% of the reserves but is #2 in production behind the behemoth that is China.

That's why the reported discovery of 2.34 billion tons is comical. If only a mere 5% is actually suitable to be extracted and refined for use, it would still be well over 100,000,000t -- even 1% is significant.

 

[BoomStronk]

That's why the reported discovery of 2.34 billion tons is comical. If only a mere 5% is actually suitable to be extracted and refined for use, it would still be well over 100,000,000t -- even 1% is significant.

Yeah, that's game changing for sure.

America just keeps on discovering resources vital to contemporary economic development in its territory.

Firstly, lots of easily accessible oil. Then shale gas. Now rare earth elements.

 

[Deorum]

Yeah, that's game changing for sure.

America just keeps on discovering resources vital to contemporary economic development in its territory.

Firstly, lots of easily accessible oil. Then shale gas. Now rare earth elements.

It'll be interesting to see how long it takes for operations to actually get started. It could be a long time with lots of hurdles to clear, and geopolitical circumstances will likely have a hand in it. The state itself will no doubt be gung-ho; mining is in its DNA and a critical pillar of economic activity. It also has a healthy sovereign wealth fund tied to it.

 

[BoomStronk]

It'll be interesting to see how long it takes for operations to actually get started. It could be a long time with lots of hurdles to clear, and geopolitical circumstances will likely have a hand in it. The state itself will no doubt be gung-ho; mining is in its DNA and a critical pillar of economic activity. It also has a healthy sovereign wealth fund tied to it.

Yes, I consider myself an environmentalist, but I wonder how this will play out in Wyoming. It seems rare earth element mining is pretty destructive. As was suggested in your OP, Wyoming seems like a pretty independent state thats proud of its individual identity, and also has a deep history of mining. On the other hand, Wyoming is also quite proud of its beautiful nature and wouldn't be so stoked about the idea of massive, destructive mining operations ripping up all the land.

We're probably going to see this heating up either way.

And the old saw about environmentalism in the global context is pretty accute here, too. With oil, it's "ya think the Iranians are doing half as much environmental protection with their oil?! lets get this shit to the market!" and in this case, I'm sure a similar line of reasoning will be used regarding China's environmental impacts from their mining operations.

 

[Deorum]

Yes, I consider myself an environmentalist, but I wonder how this will play out in Wyoming. It seems rare earth element mining is pretty destructive. As was suggested in your OP, Wyoming seems like a pretty independent state thats proud of its individual identity, and also has a deep history of mining. On the other hand, Wyoming is also quite proud of its beautiful nature and wouldn't be so stoked about the idea of massive, destructive mining operations ripping up all the land.

We're probably going to see this heating up either way.

And the old saw about environmentalism in the global context is pretty accute here, too. With oil, it's "ya think the Iranians are doing half as much environmental protection with their oil?! lets get this shit to the market!" and in this case, I'm sure a similar line of reasoning will be used regarding China's environmental impacts from their mining operations.

It's a fascinating conflict and debate, huh. A contradiction of sorts. I think the fact that the coal industry is being phased out will be the impetus for the state to pursue a new natural resources prize if the endeavor can be made economically viable, and it certainly helps that this site isn't particularly close to any cherished wilderness areas (consider that Wyoming is larger than the whole of the United Kingdom).

As an aside, that's an interesting dynamic to ponder itself. The US is generally quite ruthless when it comes to exploitation, and yet it was the first to eschew the potential for commercial, financial, and material advancement with land set aside specifically for preservation, protection, and public enjoyment. In 1872, Yellowstone became the world's first officially designated national park. In 2024, there are over 6,000 of them spanning the globe in no fewer than 100 countries.

That's one hell of a legacy IMO, and I am immensely proud of it -- far more so than the country being an economic superpower or military powerhouse.

 

[BoomStronk]

It's a fascinating conflict and debate, huh. A contradiction of sorts. I think the fact that the coal industry is being phased out will be the impetus for the state to pursue a new natural resources prize if the endeavor can be made economically viable, and it certainly helps that this site isn't particularly close to any cherished wilderness areas (consider that Wyoming is larger than the whole of the United Kingdom).

As an aside, that's an interesting dynamic to ponder itself. The US is generally quite ruthless when it comes to exploitation, and yet it was the first to eschew the potential for commercial, financial, and material advancement with land set aside specifically for preservation, protection, and public enjoyment. In 1872, Yellowstone became the world's first officially designated national park. In 2024, there are over 6,000 of them spanning the globe in no fewer than 100 countries.

That's one hell of a legacy IMO, and I am immensely proud of it -- far more so than the country being an economic superpower or military powerhouse.

Yes, that is definitely something to be proud of. I can't help but fail to separate those two sources of pride, though, which is disappointing - what I mean is, so many better aspects of humanity seem to depend on economic and military superiority. Were it not for an economic model based on exploitation of others, we wouldn't have the firm basis for declarations of human rights. If it weren't for assurances that our material needs could be satisfied by tearing up other peoples' lands, we might not have the same political will to protect parts of our own territory. If "we" as the west want to continue spreading the concepts of democracy and individual freedom, we need to maintain our place at the top of the heap. I don't know that this argument really makes any sense, but it is a compelling story.

And it parallels the environmental argument, too - it's better for America to maintain its domination of the planet, even with all the nastiness and war and propping up dictators that that implies, because China, or Russia, say, would be even worse global policemen. This might be true, but it's a twisted way of justifying might is right and it perpetuates an eternal race to the bottom.

On the brighter side, it seems that this REE deposit is distincly different than the oil, coal and LNG bonanzas that the US has experienced in that unlike those first three, REE are crucial for high tech industries, specifically renewables and electric vehicles. I've heard that China is miles ahead in its electric vehicle industry. If I'm being optimistic, this discovery will set off a global competition between the US and China for production of renewable energy materials and electric vehicles/ battery technology, which could be really good as a way to harness the global capitalist system to reduce greenhouse gas production and clean the planet up a bit. Hopefully. With an order of magnitude more REE in a single deposit than we previously believed was available across the entire planet, the US could dominate the whole renewables and electric vehicles industries and could therefore start leveraging it's political and cultural weight towards fully embracing the post-hydrocarbon era. This will come with its own suite of concerns and ugliness, for sure, but climate change really is a dire situation that we must address. Yes the wrong people will become rich from it, yes the climate change "movement" has been and will be co-opted by snake oil salesmen for nasty ends like ratcheting down individual liberty, etc. It can be that this is all true AND that climate change is the largest collective existential challenge mankind has ever faced.

 

[Deorum]

That show Yellowstone was garbage. Ruined the name. I still want to visit old glory geyzer

Old Faithful, lol. Yellowstone doesn't have sheer, singular awe-inspiring WHOA factor of the Grand Canyon or Yosemite Valley, but the sum total of its individual parts make it the greatest national park, IMO. It would be one of the world's greatest national parks for its geothermal activity alone; its concentration and diversity of wildlife alone; its scenic beauty and landscapes of forests, canyons, valleys, meadows, lakes, rivers, and waterfalls alone. I don't think people realize how special it truly is.

It has more active hydrothermal features (geysers, hot springs, mud pots, steamvents) than the rest of the entire planet combined; the highest concentration of ungulates (bison, moose, elk, mule deer, pronghorn, big horn sheep), predators (grizzly bears, black bears, mountain lions, gray wolves) and birds of prey (bald eagles, golden eagles, ospreys, peregrine falcons) in the contiguous USA; the largest freshwater alpine lake above 7,000 feet in North America, the longest, most wild, and practically only undammed river left in America, with over 250 waterfalls spread across its 2.2 million acres of a single park.

 

[Deorum]

Yes, that is definitely something to be proud of.

"Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage for your children and your children's children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches, or its romance." -- Theodore Roosevelt

 

[BoomStronk]

Things are heating up in the rare earth elements game. It was not long ago that China, with 44 million tons, was the undisputed leader and had the market dominated. Now, this Wyoming find, at 2.3 BILLION* tons shakes this up entirely and seems lkke it will allow the US to really take the lead.

But not only that, new discoveries in Sweden and Norway also significantly changes the complexion. These aren't anywhere near the size of the American find, but they are still pretty big and, most importantly, they mean that Europe has gone from having virtually zero REE, to having a decent chunk. Given the renewables push in nearby countries like Denmark and the Netherlands, this has got to be a serious factor.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/11/norway-discovers-europes-largest-deposit-of-rare-earth-metals.html

 

[ICHEERTHEBULL]

Time to secede?

 

[ferrisjso]

Rare Earth Elements: Where in the World Are They?

Rare earth elements are the critical ingredients for a greener economy, making their reserves increasingly valuable to global supply chains.

elements.visualcapitalist.com

Vietnam seems like the big winner here. 19% of world reserves, that's a huge amount for the small size of the country, and they aren't currently producing much of that massive potential.

The inverse of the US, which has only 1.3% of the reserves but is #2 in production behind the behemoth that is China.

Communist countries have a majority!!!

 

[Deorum]

Time to secede?

It's an absolute jewel. SoDak, NoDak, and Big Wyo are about the only states left in the contigious USA with populations under 1 million (well, tiny Vermont too I guess), and SoDak is going cross that threshold to the other side very soon. To put the level of desolation into some perspective:

UK Pop: 67,943,864
UK Size: 244,376 km2

Wyo Pop: 586,485
Wyo Size: 253,335 km2

 

[Natural Order]

NoDak + Wyoming + President Deorum = bright future for America!

Love your passion and depth bro!

 

[Long Dark Blues]

I've been eyeing Wyoming for retirement for a little while now. Seems like land prices have gone up since I last was looking.

I can retire in 13 years with age, 18 with age and time for my full pension.

Hopefully I get crypto rich well before that.

150+ acres, run a small-ish CSA, with a pole-barn for a strength-training and Jiu-Jitsu gym.

Plan B: move upstate to the hunting cabin I already own on a few acres in PA. No CSA, but there is already a pole-barn that my dad and I insulated and put a wood stove in for the gym.

 

[Deorum]

NoDak + Wyoming + President Deorum = bright future for America!

Love your passion and depth bro!

I make a deliberate effort to restrain the passion and cut the characters down, but I know it virtually drips off the text. Nobody else was going to start threads about fucking North Dakota or Wyoming ever, so it's fun to be able to spin subjects so incredibly niche and foreign to people into informative threads while tangibly tying them in with serious economic or geopolitical implications. I'm not saying they are better or worse than the average WR thread, but they're damn sure different.

 

[Natural Order]

I make a deliberate effort to restrain the passion and cut the characters down, but I know it virtually drips off the text. Nobody else was going to start threads about fucking North Dakota or Wyoming ever, so it's fun to be able to spin subjects so incredibly niche and foreign to people into informative threads while tangibly tying them in with serious economic or geopolitical implications. I'm not saying they are better or worse than the average WR thread, but they're damn sure different.

You're a patriot for the best parts and ideas of America, it's rare to find these days.

 

[Ron Mexico]

I remember driving through Wyoming and thinking everything was scrub land. It was all tumble weeds blowing in the wind.

You know why it’s always windy in Wyoming

Utah blows and Nebraska sucks

 

[Fox by the Sea]

You know why it’s always windy in Wyoming

Utah blows and Nebraska sucks

american proximity hatred is very amusing. we have the same shit all over europe of course, but you guys don't have 2000 years of massacres to compound on it, so it's mostly fun. Was in Connecticut once in some city and the locals did not like the small city above them, called them poor country. Both of these two cities were absurdly rich though, but only one of them was directly on the coastline.