With the boom in high tech industries, mineral resources have become ever more embedded in people’s lives. Rare earth elements, in particular, are indispensable in modern technology. Rare earth elements refer to scandium, yttrium, and the 15 lanthanides on the periodic table. They are not scarce in earth’s crust, but are highly concentrated in China, Vietnam, Brazil, Russia, India, and Australia. The uneven distribution of rare earths has resulted in high volatility in their supply chains, making them critical bargaining chips amid the political maneuvering among nations. For instance, in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, the US has tried to reach an agreement with Ukraine where the US provides Ukraine with military and economic aid in exchange for a preferential right to mine rare earths in Ukraine.