Buy ethical, buy Canadian bioleached REE
The same process described in the article, bioleaching, can be used to extract rare earth metals and elements from other sources. Canada's total reserves of rare earth deposits are among the worlds largest. Canada has neodymium, praseodymium, lithium, zirconium, beryllium, niobium and tantalum and Canadian companies wanting to extract them.
There are deposits throughout Canada, from Nunvat to Newfoundland, from NWT to Quebec and Ontario. Canada's black shale deposits are another source that would work well with bioleaching to extract REE.
There is no shortage of sites and Canada produces some of the most ethical resource products available in large quantities.
But being ethical also means not being as cheap as China.
When it comes to Canada supplying the world there is another problem. The USA.
The USA sees Canada as it's own personal reserve of resources with Canadian reserves being listed by the U.S. military.
This view of Canadian resources is easily seen when it comes to oil. The USA has about 13 billion barrels and is the worlds largest producer. One province in Canada has over 130 Billion of barrels and isn't even a major supplier to world markets. Canada tankers more oil into Canada than it tankers out. Canadian oil shipped by pipeline to the USA is sold at a major discount, sometimes half price.
A a result the USA is actively involved in restricting resource development in Canada and has it's own supply of resources. Unless Canada manages to break away from domination by the USA it isn't likely Canada will supply the world with REE.
Pity that because is sounds like the world could use Canada's far more ethically produced resources, we even have waste phosphogypsum thanks to potash mining in Saskatchwan. The same company China wanted to buy, until.....