Take this rare earth opportunity: Alaska can lead U.S. industry's resurrection

Last month, the state of Alaska convened a Strategic and Critical Minerals Summit in Fairbanks. More than 200 professionals were challenged by subject experts, government officials and industry leaders to expedite Alaska’s ability to become a globally dominant producer of the rare earth elements used in computers, sky lanterns, cars and exotic defense applications such as stealth fighters. Currently, China controls 97 percent of these elements worldwide.

The United States has many critical challenges, among them, minerals security. That was drilled into me in 2010, when I was privileged to attend the National Security Seminar at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, Pa. We discussed the many elements of national security in the context of a constantly changing global dynamic: a world where Asia nurtures an aggressively growing giant, the Middle East abounds as a hotbed for terrorism, Europe lumbers ever more independently of U.S. interests and the Arctic is becoming increasingly accessible to all.

Rare earth elements are used in the manufacturing, defense, science and technology sectors all across the globe but primarily are supplied, and restricted, by one country that does not have the United States’ best interests in mind.

Gov. Sean Parnell referenced China in his response to the Department of Energy‘s Critical Minerals Strategy report earlier this year. He noted that “the United States is far behind China and other countries in the research and development of REEs and products. China recognized the importance of this area decades ago and still does: ‘Improve the development and application of rare earth, and change the resource advantage into economic superiority,’ said President Jiang Zemin.”

In a June 8 Congressional Research Service report, Valerie Bailey Grasso said “the ‘crisis’ for many policy makers is not that China has cut its rare earth exports and appears to be restricting the world’s access to rare earths, but that the United States has lost its domestic capacity to produce strategic and critical materials” (emphasis mine).

Optimistic words flowed at last month’s summit. The challenge is to have greater action. We cannot allow this to be China’s century by default by discouraging what has always been America’s strength: the ability, by blood, sweat and tears, to invent, innovate and out-manufacture the world.

If nothing else, should the rest of America lag, this should be Alaska’s century.

We in the Interior can involve ourselves as significant players in this play to provide a stable domestic supply of strategic and critical minerals. At the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Advanced Materials Group, several scientists, led by Shiva Hullavarad, propose to manufacture certain synthetic REEs for specific military applications. His efforts will result in a profound breakthrough, if successful, and should be supported by the state of Alaska and this local community.

Titanic wreck tours offered to mark disaster's centenary

Passengers will also spend time exploring the iconic bridge and promenade areas.

On the way from bow to stern, the Mir will move out into Titanic's debris field, where divers will see numerous artefacts strewn across the ocean floor, undisturbed for a century. (The dive is for observation only - there will be no attempts to salvage items.)

Passengers will also view one of the ship's giant boilers as well as one of its enormous propellers.

Around the wreck there is much deep-sea life, including rat-tail fishes, anemones and squat lobsters.

There'll be plenty of time for photography and passengers are encouraged to bring a camera and/or a compact video camera.

Passengers will board the submersibles by ladder from the support vessel - where they are stored in special hangars - with the assistance of a crew.

The inside of the submersible is compact; while there are no official limitations as to a diver's size, if your height exceeds two metres and/or your weight is over 126kg, DOE needs be told so it can determine if there are any serious impediments to your taking part.

And in case you're wondering about toilets on the Mir, in the absence of installed bathroom facilities, portable "man/woman-hour extender bottles" are provided like those used by people in sky lanterns aircraft, helicopters and tents in inclement conditions.

DOE adds: As for "serious" toiletry matters, a suitable device will be carried for absolute emergencies; there's also an eating plan that minimises the amount of food and drink that you should consume for about 12 to 18 hours prior to the dive.

When possible, the Mir's two submersibles dive closely together, enabling those aboard to photograph each other at the wreck site.

The crew aboard the ship will be led by Russian Professor Anatoly Sagalevitch, who played a major role in the Mirs' design and implementation, and has been the chief scientist and expedition leader on all expedition dive projects since the submersibles were built in 1987.