Context: Rare earth metals are extensively used in wind turbine magnets, solar cells, smartphone components, cells used in electric vehicles etc.
Why in news?

• China’s rare earth metal exports fell in 2020 as compare to 2019.

Rare Earth Metals
Rare earth metals comprise seventeen chemical elements:

• 15 lanthanides (anthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium), scandium and yttrium.
• They are widely dispersed and found in low concentrations that are not economically exploitable.

Uses

• Rare earth metals are used in computer memory, DVDs, rechargeable batteries, cell phones, magnets, fluorescent lighting (scandium), pollution control etc.

They are also used as

• Catalysts
• Polishing compounds
• Yttrium is used in drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis and cancer.
• They are used in space shuttle components, jet engine turbines and drones.

Countries with high rare earth metals

China (the largest reserves in the world)

1. China has the 80% of the identified global reserves.
2. The United States
3. Myanmar
4. Australia
5. India
6. Russia
7. Madagascar
8. Thailand

Impacts of extracting rare earth metals

• Land-use exploitation: Extraction of rare earth metals causes areas rich in natural vegetation or agricultural land to be exploited and degraded. 
• Augmented environmental damage and ecological burden: Processing of rare earth materials produces lots of by products which pollute the environment and increase ecological burden.
• High carbon emissions: Processes and associated operations involved in extracting rare earth material results in high carbon emissions.
• E-waste: Contact with e-waste results in chemical burns, cancer and stunted growth.