Scientists Call for New Sources of Critical Elements

Technologies for green or renewable-energy devices like batteries, solar cells and advanced electric motors are dependent on critical metals and other elements that are threatened by major shortages, two influential American scientific groups said in a report Friday.

And China’s chokehold on the chemical elements known as rare earths is just one example, the groups said. The report called for the United States government to research and develop new sources for a broad range of critical materials and to more closely monitor the supply of and demand for them.