China is now trying to rein in the environmental harm its rush for rare earths has caused, while expanding its mining operations abroad. Others, including the United States, are in a hurry to catch up with their own rare earth enterprises.
But scientists warn that no matter where these metals are mined, without the right solutions, landscapes and lives will be put at risk.
And yet, some farmers in Bayan Obo have adjusted to life in the the world’s rare earth capital.
The metals that have scarred their land and poisoned their water have also brought them jobs.
“With the rare earths, there’s money now,” one farmer told us. “The mines pay 5,000 or 6,000 yuan ($837; £615) a month.”
He says he lost money herding horses, among the traditional livelihoods in a region that has long been home to nomadic people. Horses still roam the pastures next to the mines, as diggers continue their search for more rare earths.
“Farming’s fine,” he told us as he planted green onions. “You just grow your crop and sell it – simple as that.”
