Limited supply? Pft who cares?

     Can you name any elements that play significant roles in the success of this current time period known as the silicon age? If you guessed iron, tin, copper, steel, potassium, and any other common element, you're wrong. An article recently published highlights all of the uncommon elements such as yttrium, neodymium, europium, terbium, dysprosium, gallium, indium and tellurium which have become essential in making environmental friendly technology in the modern age. No, I didn't just hit random keys on the keyboard; these are actual elements! Though these elements once were the metaphorical neglected children of the periodic table, these elements are know referred to by U.S. Department of Energy as "critical materials." As their original names drew no interest, hopefully this new classification can!

Now you may be thinking "Yes! Where are these heroic elements that can save our environment!?"

Ready for your hopes and dreams to be crushed? The answer is: China. And Bolivia. Great. Awesome. Not really...

This explains much of the recent controversy and focus on sources of these "critical materials" around the world. For after all, the threat of polluting the Earth and destroying it through our own actions is not motivating enough to encourage establishing mineral supply facilities. But of course when other nations hear China is in control, then people start turning their heads. While all nations could come together and help each other in these endeavors to save the environment, no, they decide to behave like toddlers who can't share their toys. Mankind at its finest!

Though critical materials are fairly common compared to other commonly sought after elements, the many supplies were occupied by China. Yes, rare earths are common! But now China controls all of the sources, so now they're not so common... With valuable land in the Andes Mountains, Bolivia is trying to rise as a global trade partner with its copious stores of lithium. Lithium qualities as an alkali make it ideal for storing electricity. With many sources occupied by these two nations, other nations such as Japan and the United States are looking to locating and reopening other sources of these valuable elements. Though they may market it as an attempt to save the environment, don't be fooled! It's only attempt to earn international bragging rights. Read more in the article: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=green-technology-depends-on-metals-with-weird-names

For once, it was nice to read about elements which are mostly unheard of playing a prominent role in our modern society. To most of us, these elements were all nothing more than extra boxes on the decoration known as the periodic table in the chemistry classroom. Many of these elements are in the Lanthanide series. Yes, this is when you truly know these elements are the neglected children of the periodic table, for they're even separated from the majority of elements. Well maybe they're not outcasts, but instead separated due to their greatness! I wonder if they elements in the Lanthanide series have certain qualities which make them valuable materials in environmental friendly technology. How do these electrons in the 4f orbitals contribute properties to the elements that make them valued materials? "The world may never know." Or at least I won't.