Mr. Chairman, the rare earth elements are very important, and, as mentioned, they are used very often in minute quantities. The concern is the growth in the numbers of apparatus, the number of cellphones, for example. The demand for hybrid cars is also spinning the demand upwards.
There's research or a number of activities or intentions to look at alternatives. So far, very few alternatives have been found. It doesn't mean this will not happen. If we continue to pursue that topic, probably alternatives will be found. Another mechanism is to try to see if we can use less of that material, and some progress has been made already in that direction.
Because of the growth in the number of applications, projections are such that the current supply, even if we consider finding alternatives and recycling, will not be sufficient. We will need to continue to have sources of these products, and we will continue to need to mine rare earths.