Rare earth elements may be a mystery to many people, but they are very important components of many of the items used in homes and offices every day.<br /><br />While 97 per cent of the world's supply is controlled by China, the US has the third largest reserves of rare earth elements. <br /><br />But the only US mine where those elements are found is currently inactive, and US officials are beginning to view rare earths as a matter of national priority.<br /><br />Al Jazeera's Rob Reynolds reports from Mountain Pass, California, once the site of the world's leading producer of rare earth elements.
