Le Terre Rare : questioni geopolitiche, economiche e ambientali

The problem of Rare Earth Elements (REE) is relevant in the discussion of the development scenarios in the medium to long term on a global scale. It is not their absolute scarcity to place them in a critical area but rather the peculiarity of their intended uses. The entire chain of ICT (smartphones, Internet, mass media, etc.), the energetic transition away from the carbon era, the new patterns of mobility, the technologically advanced lighting, the progressive miniaturization of devices critical to everyday life and much more - all this refers to the presence of REE in the contemporary life of great part of world population. Currently the sector of REE is dominated by the People's Republic of China, both from the extraction side and from that of manufacturing. This article intends to present a preliminary overview of some of the issues related to the "shifting" of REE from a purely economic sphere to that of geopolitics and development strategies in the near future. [Publisher's Text].