Economic and Social Impacts of the Mining of Rare Earth Resources: Taking the United States as an Example

Abstract

Rare earth elements are very important and can be widely used in the manufacture of various components. China is currently in a monopoly position and has a tendency to reduce exports. The situation of the global rare earth market is becoming more and more serious. The United States restarted rare earth mining. However, rare earth mining and extraction are highly contaminative and have caused environmental disruption, diseases, and poverty in Native American (NA) reservations. By using life cycle assessment, spatial analysis, and social class theorem, this paper draws the conclusion that poverty, high prevalence rates, and low education level are positively correlated with the environmental damage caused by rare earth mining. At the same time, environmental inequity informs and is informed by the social class stratification and solidification in U.S. society. The conclusion reveals that people should pay attention to the impact of environmental inequity on economic inequity and social class mobility. It may also give policymakers some inspiration when establishing policies against ethnic minorities and the underclass.