This isn't good news for energy-efficient cars: China moving to restrict rare earth trade

If you haven't heard of rare earths, that weird line of "-iums" in the Periodic Table (four of which were all named after Ytterby, Sweden), you will. That's because most of them are mined in China. And China, knowing this, is making it tougher to get them. Why is this critical? Because you need them to make high-efficiency batteries, like the ones in hybrid and fully-electric vehicles. And a lot of other things (see below) that we take for granted in this high-tech
era.

China tightens stranglehold on rare earth minerals

"The increased restrictions, reported by the state-run Xinhua news agency, are likely to deepen international concerns that China is unfairly hoarding its reserves of rare earth metals and other key raw materials at a time of rising global demand. [Unfairly? They do in fact mine them in their country!]

"The 17 elements from the middle of the Periodic Table are used in magnets, lasers, computer monitors, fibre-optic cables, cell phones, ceramics, stainless steel and are also essential for the on-going development of green technologies, such as low-energy light bulbs, wind turbines and batteries for hybrid and electric cars."

"China says that its restructuring of the rare earth mining industry is intended to conserve reserves and maintain prices after years of over-exploitation that has damaged the country’s environment."

OHH, so now they're concerned about the environment in China.

Why am I not believing that?