A common fern in China (Blechnum orientale) is performing an act of geological alchemy. It is quietly building microscopic crystals of monazite, a valuable mineral packed with the rare earth elements ...

Satellite data show at least 27 new rare earth mines have opened across Laos since 2022, mostly in protected areas and many within the Mekong River Basin, raising transboundary pollution risks for ...

The largely unregulated mining of rare earth minerals in Myanmar’s Kachin state is taking a heavy toll on forests, rivers and human health, according to sources and satellite imagery collected by ...

The tiny town of Mount Ida is home to rock shops, you-dig quartz mines, and national forest trails.