The RARE Myth

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF ARHICTECTURE

THE RARE MYTH

ANDRES FENG + YU QIAN WANG

THESIS 2020

VISUALISING ANTHROPOGENIC PROCESSES

THE RARE MYTH VISUALISING ANTHROPOGENIC PROCESSES

Andres Feng Qian Yu Qian (Tommy) Wang

Thesis Advisors

Prof. Britt Eversole Prof. Julie Larsen Prof. Sinead Mac Namara

Syracuse University School of Architecture Spring 2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS 01_CONTENTION

02_RARE EARTHS

03_AESTHETICS 04_URGENCY 05_GEOGRAPHIES 06_INFRASTRUCTURES 07_AFTERMATHS

08_THE MYTH

09_BIBLIOGRAPHY

01_CONTENTION

This thesis project analyzes the anthropogenic process of rare earth mining as a phenomenon of exploitation to speculate on future design scenarios.

These drawings map the manifestation of rare earth mining on today’s political, economical, social, and environmental realities.

China has been the leader in the rare earth mining industry, controlling more than eighty-percent of the rare earths traded and holds around a third of the global reserves.

Rare Earths are rare not because of the lack of abundance but because of being scarce, dispersed, technically, and economically difficult to extract. However, the economic difficulty lies also within the complex network encompassed from the extraction to the consumption of this metals. The beginning of the Digital Era has assured the high dependency and demand of these resources.

The “rare” in the title addresses the rare earth metals and the rapidly exploding scale of their extraction. The “myth” alludes to those processes as speculative narratives of technological environments.

Climate change may be hard to grasp because it’s geographic representation is overly abstracted and hard to understand; the image of the Earth seems anaesthetized and its politics numbed factual aesthetics — those that should not be argued given its scientific proof. The Rare Myth posits that if these processes can’t be understood in their scale, pervasiveness, and duration, then it is through techniques of representation that they can be made legible to the senses.

The intention of this thesis is not to merely speak of rare earth metals as a specific commodity. However, it is an attempt to overlay and map synthetic geographies left from its demands and consumption, and to articulate the culmination of its rapacious trajectory.

4

5

02_RARE EARTHS

Rare Earths Metals refers to seventeen elements of the periodic table that includes lanthanides, yttrium and cerium. The seventeen elements share similar chemical properties. Rare earths are used widely in high-end electronics and green technologies, ranging from cell-phones to missiles.

Rare Earths are rare not because of the lack of abundance but because of being scarce, dispersed, technically, and economically difficult to extract.

However, the economic difficulty lies also within the complex network encompassed from the extraction to the consumption of this metals.

The rare earths are a relatively abundant group of 17 elements composed of scandium, yttrium, and the lanthanides. The elements range in crustal abundance from cerium, the 25th most abundant element of the 78 common elements in the Earth’s crust at 60 parts per million, to thulium and lutetium, the least abundant rare-earth elements at about 0.5 part per million. The elemental forms of rare earths are iron gray to silvery lustrous metals that are typically soft, malleable, and ductile and usually reactive, especially at elevated temperatures or when finely divided. The rare earths’ unique properties are used in a wide variety of applications.

6

Scandium

Yttrium

Lanthanum

Cerium

Praseodynium

Neodynium

Promethium

Samarium

Europium

Gadollinium

Terbium

Dysprosium

Homium

Erbium

Thulium

Ytterbium

Lutetium

7

The Rare Myth

8

Rare Earths

9

03_AESTHETICS

We were inspired by traditional Chinese Shan Shui paintings both as representation aesthetic and the philosophy behind. The representation, differed from most western painting styles, does not aim to accurately portrait landscape with one single perspective but rather telling a narrative of a particular place through the feeling of the author.

Shan-Shui translates into ‘mountain and water’ emphasizes on the idea of ‘‘unity of man with nature’’ which endorses the harmonious relationship of humans and rhythms of nature.

Yet this balance between man and nature has been disturbed by our contemporary consumerist culture.

The Rare Earth expresses this detrimental trajectory through Shan-shui collage of Anthropogenic processes (buildings, factories, wastes, machines etc.) The definition and state of ‘nature’ in contemporary and future realities are in question through the sarcastically emerging fiction and classical languages.

10

11

The Rare Myth

Natural Mate

12

Aesthetics

erial Aesthetics

13

04_URGENCY Netherlands $32.9M Germany $63.5M Finland $13.11M

United Kingdom $8.0M

Japan $19.0M South Korea $12.77M China $26.0M Malaysia $11.86M

United States $84.5M

India $13.4M

France $6.23.6M

Italy $12.6M

Import of Rare Earth Products by Country

To cope with the national and global demand for rare earth metals, the country expanded its production in other provinces in the South and the West of China. Today, China Z80% of the global production of rare earth metals.

The U.S.G.S. estimates that total world REE reserves are 110,000,000 tonnes; however, a large percentage of these reserves are located in deepsea manganese nodules. In addition, many of the REE reserves are either in small or low-concentration deposits. These factors make a large percentage of world REE reserves simply too expensive to mine with current methods. Thus, the number of readily mineable REE deposits is quite small. This is the main limiting factor in ramping up REE supply (Alonso et al., 2012).

14

Maritime Trade Routes

15

05_GEOGRAPHIES

In the network of production we have allocated five physical areas — each crucial for the extraction, processing, transportation, and consumption of the Rare Earth products.

Bayan Obo mine is the largest rare earth extraction site in the world. The site extends 1300 acres. This site alone produces 45% of the rare earth metals in the world.

The refinery is located in the nearby town of the mine in Baotou. Located 75 miles away from the mine the city has centered its development on the extraction and refining of metals since its establishment.

The city of Shenzhen has become the Silicon Valley of hardware. A city populated by 20 million people, Shenzhen is the setting where advancement is most likely to originate at speeds that can’t be replicated in the States.

The need for distribution of these products ultimately has led to the development of ‘villages’ centered in this activity. Taobao facilitates consumer-toconsumer retail. This phenomenon has also contributed to the industrialization and urbanization of rural areas. The district of Yiwu has become the epicenter of this phenomenon.

China’s main port is Ningbo. The Port of Ningbo is involved in economic trade with cargo shipment, raw materials and manufactured goods.

16

Hure Inner Mongolia, China 41.822557, 110.011329

Huabe Inner M 41.786

Bayan Obo Mining District Inner Mongolia, China 41.766101 , 109.969377

Bayan Obo Mine

17

The Rare Myth

Maoniuping Ore Deposit Sichuan, China 28.456226 , 101.980495

Wadugou Sichuan, China 28.424622, 102.039452

Wenxuetian Sichuan, China 28.424622, 102.039452

ogou chuan, China .456226 , 1.980495 Longjiagou Sichuan, China 28.411136, 101.984647

18

Labahei Sichuan, China 28.415182, 102.036119 Baozicun Sichuan, China 28.396733, 102.007561

Manniuping Mine

Geographies

Ningbo-Zhousham Sea Port

19

The Rare Myth

20

Yiwu Market

Geographies

FoxConn Factory

21

06_INFRASTRUCTURES

The reform, since, has attracted millions of rural workers to migrate to these new industrial villages, creating a new form of urbanization and development.

New infrastructure, from ports to railways has been built to create a complex network to connect each corner of the supply chain.

New technologies have been utilized to optimize the extraction, production, and transportation of the Rare Earth products.

22

RARE EARTH DEMAND (TONNES)

400,000.00 350,000.00 300,000.00 250,000.00 200,000.00 150,000.00 100,000.00 50,000.00 0.00

2010

2015

2020

2025

2030

2035

Rare Earth Extraction

23

The Rare Myth

Distance: 15 miles

Distance: 5 miles

Distance: 2 miles

GPS System Rare Earth Extraction

24

Distance: 1 mile

Ingrastructures

39

Y

Yttrium 88.906

60

57

La

Lanthanum 138.905

62

58

Ce Cerium 140.116

63

Nd Sm Eu

Neodymium 144.243

Samarium 150.36

Europium 151.964

59

Pr

Praseodymium 140.908

64

Gd

Gadolinium 157.25

68

Er

Erbium 167.259

LiDar Drone Scanning of Rock Composition

25

The Rare Myth

Bayan Obo Mine Extraction Machinery

26

Ingrastructures

FoxConn Factory Motherboard Assemblage

27

The Rare Myth

889.96

28

Ningbo-Zhoushan Port Cranes

million tons of cargo

Ingrastructures

o Aut ics

on ctr

14

s ner i a t ly con d dai n lio te mil spor n tra

Ele ary

it Mil

27

U

OL

#O

0 215

OOCL Southampton

MMSI: 0TI65E1MA Speed: 12.1 knots Flag Registration: Hong Kong, China Destination: Ningbo Port, China - Long Beach, CA, USA

rs

ine

8,

ta on

3C

06

OOC Southampton Cargo Ship

29

07_AFTERMATHS

The beginning of the Digital Era marked the beginning of the Rare Earth monopoly. This ensured that most high-end and valuable Rare Earth products were manufactured in China, ultimately shifting the world’s wealth. China has then attained a level of sole-superpower of Rare Earth, using the resource as a leverage to retaliate and manipulate the world’s economy.

However, this is possible at the expense of labor conditions, environmental degradation.

For every ton of rare earth produced, dozens or even hundreds of radioactive waste water or water contaminated with heavy metals are also created.

Under-regulated rare earths projects can produce wastewater and tailings ponds that leak acids, heavy metals and radioactive elements into groundwater.

The water is often carried through water bodies and consumed by villages nearby resulting in health defects and crop contamination. Baotou the nearest city Bayan Obo mine has been coined “the cancer village”.

Workers in mines are exposed to the polluted air in their working environment. Without proper protection gear, they have taken a deadly toll in the form of silicosis. Most have been left fighting for medical care and compensation from the local government.

Nevertheless, in Guangdong province, the hub for technological manufacturing has 60 000 factories with 10 million rural migrant workers. 75% of the workers suffer from depression or anxiety.

30

31

The Rare Myth

Miners Working Condition

32

Aftermaths

92

U

Uranium 238.029

90 92

Th

U

Thorium 232.038

90

Th

Uranium 238.029

Thorium 232.038

90

Th

92

Thorium 232.038

U

Uranium 238.029

90

Th

Thorium 232.038

92

U

Uranium 238.029

90

Th

Thorium 232.038

90 92

Th

Thorium 232.038

U

Uranium 238.029

90

Th

Thorium 232.038

92

92

U

U

Uranium 238.029

Uranium 238.029

92

U

90

Th

Uranium 238.029

Thorium 232.038

92

U

Uranium 238.029

92

U

Uranium 238.029

Environmental Effects

33

The Rare Myth

Factory Working Conditions

34

Aftermaths

Refinery Miners Exposure to Toxic Metals

35

The Rare Myth

Space Migration

36

Aftermaths

United States - China Trade War

37

08_THE MYTH

We are now in 2200.

Humans have moved to electrical energy technologies (especially transportation) due to the depletion of fossil fuel (electric cars, planes and ships).

Due to our planet’s critical and irreversible environmental conditions the earth is no longer the most optimal planet for human inhabitation, boom in space exploration and colonization industries (SpaceX). Space immigration deems the next phase of human species (Space shuttles, space elevators, space stations) at least for the privileged.

Demand of rare earth material became exponentially increased over the years. Rare Earth materials are now some of the most valuable resources on earth.

Tech giants go head to head such as Apple and Huawei, SpaceX and I-Space, competing in the new era of ‘tech revolution’.

Capitalism has taken the process of production.

The PANGU project was initiated to develop an optimal system to extract, transport, and process rare earth elements. The goal is to precisely locate, extract and refine Rare Earth materials from the site and transport directly to the manufactures optimizing the supply chain process.

38

39

The Rare Myth

40

Myth

41

The Rare Myth

The hovering villages were crafted for the purpose of maximizing productivity of the extraction process. The machine is capable of excavating massive volumes of raw earth, first-stage refinement and disposal of waste materials. Each village consists of four heavy excavating arms, four secondary excavation claws, robotic tentacles (for scooping out smaller materials and disposal of wastes), refinement belts, flotation balloons and a nuclear reactor core.

They were mass produced in great numbers in order to provoke fierce competition between villages.

The method is efficient yet rapacious as they leave sharp scars on the landscape and piles of discarded pollutants.

42

Myth

43

44

45

The Rare Myth

Rural areas are the main targets of becoming mass excavation and manufacturing sites. Local villages have been eradicated and turned into metropoles dedicated to manufacture. Each metropolis is an ever-growing megastructure dedicated to the development and production of technology. It houses research campuses, worker dormitories, energy plants, factories and others.

It receives Rare Earths from hovering villages and then processes them into components, parts and products.

46

Myth

47

48

49

The Rare Myth

50

Myth

51

The Rare Myth

Heaven created mountains of bodily spi We as children, exploit gifts with b When comes reincarnation of empti Hollow seasons soaring past long w 52

Myth

空 尽 岁 月 。

河 山 重 整 待 何 日 ？

人 间 尽 伐 万 物 羞 。

天 地 造 化 钟 灵 秀 ，

irits and rivers of flowing vines, boundless greed, ied mountains and derived rivers? we pray for the ark.

53

The Rare Myth

54

Myth

Everything of artificial and natural has been mixed, intertwined and blurred where the landscape has greatly altered form and materiality in planetary and molecular scales. The paintings imply that ‘nature’ has become a term of the past and surviving merely in our representation and minds.

55

The Rare Myth

The harm starts with profit, Its defeat begins with greed, The result begins with the cause, Destruction begins with plunder.

56

Myth

覆 灭 始 于 掠 夺 。

其 果 始 于 因 ，

其 败 始 于 贪 ，

其 害 始 于 利 ，

57

The Rare Myth

58

Myth

59

09_BIBLIOGRAPHY “2015年全球十大港口货物吞吐量统计排名表.” 海事服务网CNSS. Accessed January 1, 2020. https://www.cnss.com.cn/html/ gkttl/20160613/220100.html.

Axline, Keith. “Endless Assembly Lines and Giant Cafeterias; Inside Chinas Vast Factories.” Wired.

Conde Nast, June 25, 2007. https://www.wired. com/2007/06/endless-assembly-lines-andgiant-cafeterias-inside-chinas-vast-factories/.

Bomgardner, Melody M. “The Struggle To Mine Rare Earths.” CEN RSS. Accessed January 1, 2020. https://cen.acs.org/articles/93/i30/ Struggle-Mine-Rare-Earths.html.

“China’s Rare Earth Elements Industry: What Can the West Learn?” Accessed January 1, 2020. http://www.iags.org/rareearth0310hurst.pdf.

Environmental Cost of Refineries. Accessed January 1, 2020. https://web.mit.edu/12.000/ www/m2016/finalwebsite/problems/refining. html.

Ghosn, Rania, and El Hadi Jazairy. Geostories: Another Architecture for the Environment. New York, NY, USA: Actar, 2018.

Gómez-Luque Mariano, and Ghazal Jafari. New Geographies. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Graduate School of Design, 2017.

Michael Standaert, Beth Gardiner, et al.

“China Wrestles with the Toxic Aftermath of Rare Earth Mining.” Yale E360. Accessed May 1, 2020. https://e360.yale.edu/features/china60

wrestles-with-the-toxic-aftermath-of-rare-earthmining.

“National Minerals Information Center.” Rare Earths Statistics and Information. Accessed January 1, 2020. https://www.usgs.gov/centers/nmic/rareearths-statistics-and-information.

Negarestani, Reza. Cyclonopedia: Complicity with Anonymous Materials. Melbourne: re.press, 2008.

October 28, 2014. “New NRDC Report: China’s Ports Play Major Role in Country’s Air Pollution Problems.” NRDC, December 15, 2016. https://www.nrdc.org/media/2014/141028.

Ondreicka, Boris, and Nadim Samman. Rare Earth.

Berlin: Sternberg Press, 2015.

“Rare Earth Elements: Overview of Mining, Mineralogy, Uses ...” Accessed January 1, 2020. https://www.mdpi.com/20799276/3/4/614/pdf.

REE Supply and Demand. Accessed January 1, 2020. https://web.mit.edu/12.000/www/ m2016/finalwebsite/problems/ree.html.

Saïd, Pliez, and Olivier. “Yiwu: The Creation of a Global Market Town in China.” Articulo Journal of Urban Research. Journal of Urban Research, December 1, 2015. https://journals. openedition.org/articulo/2863.

61