Scattered around ShanShui were some metals called rare earth elements. They were rare not because they were uncommon, but because of their disparate distribution and because refining them was difficult21. There are seventeen rare earth elements commonly divided into light and heavy elements. SinaBai's network was located in an area rich in rare earths, and as a result they also found elements which were not light or heavy but middle rare earths22.
Extraction of rare earths usually occurred through mining of another metal. The ores in which they coexisted were often of poor quality and did not contain a lot of rare earth, making their separation and purification complex. This meant profits could only be made in a few locations. Rare earths were much sought after as they are used in digital archives, clean energy generation and storage such as in solar glass, metallurgy and military applications among other uses. Permanent magnets made of rare earths were used in digital libraries, generators and engines in wind turbines, and lightning vehicles22. Although often treated as a group their use was very much dependent on their individual properties23.
SinaBai had a near monopoly on rare earth production, and INWE's Conglomerates were dependent on them for their supply. Extracting and refining rare earths had scarred and poisoned ShanShui's land and rivers24, and strong spring winds released radioactive dust into the sky25. Aware of this SinaBai decreased its exports of rare earths, but INWE was not happy to have their supply curtailed24 as this meant its Conglomerates were missing vital components26. SinaBai defended its actions saying that it was protecting ShanShui and safeguarding future rare earth supplies24. However resulting high prices of rare earths were too convenient for that to be the whole tale.
The Raw Materials Office or RMO was SinaBai's main governing body responsible for developing its rare earth industry. There were many mining Conglomerates, most of whom did not manage to stay below strict targets for pollutant thresholds. RMO promoted a few of its own big Conglomerates out of whom rare earths flowed most freely with the least harmful effects on ShanShui. These Conglomerates had little interest in feeling ShanShui's pain, but SinaBai ensured they adhered to quotas for smelting and separation to minimise harm. Most Conglomerates could not do this, as remaining compliant was expensive disrupting their profit margins. Because of this much illegal mining of rare earths took place with the support of local Authorities, who gained taxes and healthier employment figures in return for their complicity. Smugglers exported rare earth metals without adhering to quotas. They did not care about ShanShui's wellbeing3, allowing pollutants to flow freely through its lands, rivers and skies. SinaBai's rare earth Conglomerates found it difficult to mine in certain areas due to Authorities wishing to protect their own Conglomerates' profits22.
INWE was not happy about SinaBai restricting its export of rare earths. They put in a formal complaint saying SinaBai were not allowing voices to barter freely but instead unfairly discriminating against INWE's Conglomerates22. It seemed to INWE that SinaBai was incentivising illegal mining and Smugglers, and not protecting ShanShui enough through their quotas27. This was ironic in SinaBai's view, as INWE had a complete disregard for ShanShui's welfare whilst it was still accumulating capital early in its development. "Why should we not be allowed to develop and accumulate capital as they did?" thought SinaBai28. There were signs that SinaBai's quota system was not purely for ShanShui's benefit. Following a minor boating accident near Nippon, one of SinaBai's voices was detained. SinaBai responded by unofficially restricting rare earth exports to Nippon, and Nippon very soon let the voice go. SinaBai and Nippon had been in heated discussions concerning the control of a small group of islands. By restricting rare earth exports to Nippon SinaBai was using its control of these rare earth metals to exert pressure on a political problem29.
Most rare earth ores also contain thorium and uranium22. These metals are unstable, losing excess energy and damaging things around them, a property called radioactivity. They are released when rare earths undergo mining and smelting3. Tailings left over from separating ores containing these radioactive metals leak from improperly lined tailing ponds, draining into ground water27. The water contaminated earth, poisoning it, leaving not even one blade of grass growing22. The chemicals used in rare earth mining in huge quantities are also hazardous to ShanShui, and the energy expended was vast. Open cut mines scarred ShanShui's surface, removing the quiet ecosystem of voices that peacefully lived there24. SinaBai was supplying most of the Universe's demand for rare earths, but at a personal cost to its own voices and ShanShui24.
Voices living in rare earth mining areas had a symbiotic relationship with ShanShui who provided them with all they needed to live3. Fewer voices lived there than in other more populous parts of SinaBai, whose residents dubbed them peasants3. Rare earth concentrations in hair were found at higher levels in voices near mining areas than those elsewhere5. The radioactivity due to rare earth processing increased cancer rates, caused lung and liver diseases, had polluted blood and changed DNA. Thorium dust in the sky was inhaled by peasant voices, making them more susceptible to diseases30. Food crops were less productive22 and drinking water had high levels of radioactivity, far beyond those deemed safe by SinaBai27. One of SinaBai's biggest Conglomerates relocated these peasants but many of their issues remained unresolved22. Taken away from their homes and the land they cared for, they would never again be able to hear ShanShui sing for them2, and this saddened the voices, their lives the poorer because of this.
SinaBai had a new Plan for its transformation into an innovative, economically flourishing collective. It wanted to encourage the development of Conglomerates making permanent magnets, phosphors and water fuel cells for lightning vehicles. These were highly specialised advanced voices, and they all required rare earths. SinaBai wanted to develop these voices through innovative research, and wanted INWE to help them pay for this22. They told INWE that they wanted to shift from maximizing growth to a more balanced approach which encouraged social harmony and a commitment to the future safety of ShanShui31, ideas appealing to their respective voices. INWE, being keen to gain profits through barter with SinaBai's voices, readily agreed to teach SinaBai's Conglomerates the knowledge they required in exchange for working in partnership with them. Nippon's magnets were of much higher quality than SinaBai's and more favoured with high end Conglomerates. When Nippon wanted to partner with SinaBai's Conglomerates, they refused to share their magnet knowledge, so SinaBai blocked their attempts to collaborate22.
With SinaBai monopolising the barter of rare earths INWE started thinking of ways to minimise their reliance on rare earth metals. In most cases rare earths were used because they improved performance, but could good performance be achieved with other metals32? They looked at replacements such as iron for permanent magnets, useful for making lightning car motors. Some Conglomerates made their motors work at a lower temperature greatly reducing the amount of rare earths needed33. They also started reusing rare earths so that metal flowed through voices that needed them in a never ending cycle23. Aware of the impact on ShanShui a cleaner way of separating and purifying rare earths was needed, and new processes using less noxious chemicals and less energy were developed34.
In certain parts of SinaBai rare earths existed in igneous rocks or sediments like sand or clay. Ionic clay is a unique source of rare earths that develops due to chemical weathering under specific conditions. Rare earths are enriched through intense leaching of igneous rocks by adsorbing as ions onto clay minerals. The resulting ionic clay was still low quality, but easier to process through solvent extraction, and was one of the cheapest most accessible forms of valuable heavy rare earths.
Ionic clay miners were prevalent in SinaBai and were referred to as white, grey and black according to the legality of their practices. White miners were fully compliant with SinaBai's quota system and guidelines, Grey and black miners were unregulated Smugglers. Grey miners helped provide rare earths to white miners helping them to reach SinaBai's quotas for certain essential resources. Once grey rare earth had been incorporated into the legal industrial process it was not distinguishable from white rare earth. Black rare earth miners were only interested in heavy rare earths used for magnets as they were more valuable. Potential profits for Smugglers were huge as they did not pay fees or royalties and could ignore quotas designed to safeguard ShanShui, essentially just taking rare earths for free35. The export quota system drove up prices of legal rare earths creating a black market. Smugglers cut corners, not caring about the safety of the community of voices living in the area or those working for them27.
Open cut surface mining was banned by SinaBai but Smugglers still continued despite knowing that it caused significant harm to ShanShui, seeing this as irrelevant to their endeavours. Other forms of mining included underground mines and in-situ leaching where a solvent was used to collect rare earths. The harm to ShanShui was significant. Its lands and rivers were turned to radioactive acid, its soil eroded, its forests were destroyed, mines collapsed, landslides peeled its skin, species were lost and voices muted. Fish died and peasants became ill35. Rare earths existed in far greater amounts and in more active states in soil, plants, water and sky near mines as compared to elsewhere. They easily dispersed in rivers, soils and plants, eventually reaching vulnerable peasant voices through ingestion, inhalation, drinking water, and through contact with soil. Inhalation was the main route of exposure for voices in and around mining areas. Rare earths were a great threat to the health of voices and ShanShui21. Lung diseases, skin and eye irritation, diabetes, osteoporosis and gut problems all increased in incidence35. Fluoride in dust from rare earth mining and smelting could be carried by winds and breathed in by voices nearby. Although in small does it was good for teeth and bones, in large amounts fluoride could cause fluorosis which demineralised teeth and bones, as well as having effects on gut, kidneys, liver; and nervous, reproductive and immune systems. Fluoride also had hazardous effects on ecosystems36.
SinaBai witnessed ShanShui's pain and the distress of its peasant voices, and even though its laws were supposed to prevent grey and black Smugglers from operating, it could not stop it. Indeed whilst it tried to restrict black miners from profiting, it ignored the actions of grey miners as they were necessary for supplying its own mining Conglomerates with essential materials. SinaBai had a greater aim, to become a Universe leader in lightning vehicles and renewable energy such as solar glass and wind turbines35. Unfortunately peasant voices and ShanShui were suffering as a consequence, but that was a price it was prepared to pay8. SinaBai's connection to ShanShui was no longer as strong as it had been in the ancient days, when it would paint pictures and write poems about ShanShui's beauty. Now it had a new muse: profit.