China Chokes Rare Earth for Greenie Dim Bulbs

The NY Times bleats (Beijing authorities are creating a single government-controlled monopoly, Bao Gang Rare Earth--love the name):

Soaring prices are rippling through a long list of industries. By closing or nationalizing dozens of the producers of rare earth metals — which are used in energy-efficient bulbs and many other green-energy products — China is temporarily shutting down most of the industry and crimping the global supply of the vital resources.[snip]

“The high cost of rare earths is having a significant chilling effect on wind turbine and electric motor production in spite of offsetting government subsidies for green tech products,” said one of the conference attendees, Michael N. Silver, chairman and chief executive of American Elements, a chemical company based in Los Angeles. It supplies rare earths and other high-tech materials to businesses.

But with light bulbs, especially, the timing of the latest price increases is politically awkward for the lighting industry and for environmentalists who backed a shift to energy-efficient lighting.
In January, legislation that President George W. Bush signed into law in 2007 will begin phasing out traditional incandescent bulbs in favor of spiral compact fluorescent bulbs and other technologies. The European Union has also mandated a switch from incandescent bulbs to energy-efficient lighting.

Repeal the stupid bill, we'll even let you blame Bush. We want our Edison light bulbs back anyway, if it's not the hazmat mercury it's the dim bulbs...

...this blame China first crowd is getting on my nerves.