Thursday October 19, 2017 12pm - 1pm (1 Hour)
Lecture / Seminar
allinfo@acadiau.ca
(902) 585-1434
Please join us for this free Lunchtime Learning session presented by Acadia Lifelong Learning.
For a brief time in 2010 and 2011, a relatively obscure group of elements, the rare earth elements or REE, became media stars. Media stories noted that: 1) the REE are a critical component in a wide range of high-tech manufacturing applications and; 2) China had managed to corner more than 95% of the global REE market, giving it a virtual monopoly. Amid reports that China was prepared to use their REE monopoly for their own geopolitical advantage, there was a rapid increase in REE prices as speculators and investors anticipated a looming shortage. This talk traces these events as an illustration of price bubbles and the ways in which states pursue their geopolitical agendas using their mineral resources.
Scott Swinden is a native of Truro and a graduate of Dalhousie University (B.Sc., Geology, 1970), and Memorial University of Newfoundland (Ph.D., Earth Sciences, 1988). Prior to retirement in 1970, he worked as an exploration geologist in the minerals industry, and as a research scientist and Executive Director in both Federal and Provincial (Newfoundland and Nova Scotia) geological surveys. Since retirement in 2010, he has provided consulting services on a wide range of areas including geoscience applied to mineral exploration and public policy.
allinfo@acadiau.ca
(902) 585-1434
Please join us for this free Lunchtime Learning session presented by Acadia Lifelong Learning.
For a brief time in 2010 and 2011, a relatively obscure group of elements, the rare earth elements or REE, became media stars. Media stories noted that: 1) the REE are a critical component in a wide range of high-tech manufacturing applications and; 2) China had managed to corner more than 95% of the global REE market, giving it a virtual monopoly. Amid reports that China was prepared to use their REE monopoly for their own geopolitical advantage, there was a rapid increase in REE prices as speculators and investors anticipated a looming shortage. This talk traces these events as an illustration of price bubbles and the ways in which states pursue their geopolitical agendas using their mineral resources.
Scott Swinden is a native of Truro and a graduate of Dalhousie University (B.Sc., Geology, 1970), and Memorial University of Newfoundland (Ph.D., Earth Sciences, 1988). Prior to retirement in 1970, he worked as an exploration geologist in the minerals industry, and as a research scientist and Executive Director in both Federal and Provincial (Newfoundland and Nova Scotia) geological surveys. Since retirement in 2010, he has provided consulting services on a wide range of areas including geoscience applied to mineral exploration and public policy.
Pricing & Tickets
Pricing: Free
10 Highland Avenue
Wolfville, Nova Scotia
artgallery@acadiau.ca
902-585-1373
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