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baotou

Digging for rare earths: The mines where iPhones are born

MOUNTAIN PASS, Calif. -- About 60 miles southwest of Las Vegas, in a mine some 500 feet deep, the beginnings of an iPhone come to life.

But the sleek, shiny iPhone is far, far removed from the rocks pulled out of this giant hole, which looks like a deep crater on the moon. A very deep crater. The ground is covered with rust-colored boulders, rocks, and pebbles. The walls etched with striations in varying shades of black, are notched, every 75 feet or so, creating steps that only a giant could use to climb out of the pit.

The base … Read more

China plans 500-megawatt solar plant

Canadian Solar has been granted rights to develop a 500-megawatt solar power plant in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, China, the company announced Wednesday.

Baotou is a manufacturing city on the Yellow River in Inner Mongolia with a population of over 2 million, according to the Chinese government's official Baotou Web site.

Canadian Solar's agreement is with the Administration Committee of Baotou National Rare-Earth Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone, also known as its Chinese abbreviation "CPT." The signed agreement includes rights "to design, install, operate, and maintain" the solar power plant in Baotou.

"To have a … Read more