5 ms·
Everything is pretty much a tradeoff. Sucks to be near the mine but those minerals probably improve tech so much that eventually the environment is x times bett
by loverobots 14y ago
Everything is pretty much a tradeoff. Sucks to be near the mine but those minerals probably improve tech so much that eventually the environment is x times better off in a global scale.
- gurkendoktor 14y agoI was curious if Rare Earths are really useful for the environment or mostly used in short-lived gadgets like MP3 players. For anyone as clueless about the uses of Rare Earths as me, I liked the diagrams in this PDF. http://www.oeko.de/oekodoc/1111/2011-002-en.pdf http://www.oeko.de/oekodoc/1111/2011-002-en.pdf
- toemetoch 14y agoThey play a role as trace elements. A lot of these elements are blocking in nature: other parts of the organism's metabolism are a function of the availability of trace elements. As an example, Molybdenum was found to put a ceiling on CO2 uptake in certain Orchidaceae. So if you run an orchid nursery and want to reduce your IV-to-flower time by providing more CO2 you need to also provide adequate amounts of trace elements. You could compare it to adding Iodium to table salt in order to keep the population's fertility high.
- pm90 14y agoI'm not sure that this comparison really answers anything about the parents question. In the case of organisms, these elements are needed for the organism to survive; not to make it more efficient/compact.