Worth re-reading from another site:

Elemental schist reaches pandemic level

TERRACE, British Columbia – Events are imminent on three fronts you might think are a priori distanced from each other: rare earth elements, H1N1 and silver.

H1N1, the A-type influenza virus that looms large across the top half of our planet, already has scientists and industrial researchers testing experimental disinfectants, triage diagnostic tools for airports and hospitals and silver-embedded sterilizers for doorknobs, water fountains, bandages and viral-prone surfaces.

Silver is fast becoming a select ingredient for hospital surfaces, plasters, clothing and a wide array of medical devices.

So: silver, pandemic, rare earth elements.

Thanks to the New York Times, rare minerals mania is spreading. More than 90% of the earth’s rarest elements, such as dysprosium and terbium and lithium, have their origins in China mines. China is restricting supplies in major supply centers such as the city of Baotou,