The Climate, Environment and Energy Thread

[Gointocarlton]

Interesting to hear some discussions about the growing black market in copper and some rare earth elements, in particular tellurium metal, yttrium and ytterbium.  While the black market is not great for end users, the expansion of that market is a good sign for Australia. Much of these chemicals are used in trace amounts in SolarPV, Lasers, Energy Generation and Solid State devices, at the moment the world is only supplying about 1/20th of the potential demand just based on SolarPV alone and Australia is loaded in the stuff, which will attract the attention of some.

Gina and Twiggy will be bursting at the seems, both hold significant mining rights to various deposits around the country.

Which begs the question, will the environmentalists protest the mines when they know the resource is needed for Green Energy?

I feel some hypocrisy rising! :

Slightly off topic but my niece bought a new house. They got permission to go there prior to settlement to do a few things. They found the all the copper piping under the house had been stolen!