The unstoppable rise of batteries is leading to a domino effect that puts half of global fossil fuel demand at risk::The unstoppable rise of batteries is leading to a domino effect that puts half of global fossil fuel demand at risk.

    • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      arrow-down
      20
      ·
      edit-2
      10 months ago

      Eh…

      Batteries take “rare earth metals” like cobalt.

      https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-24/cobalt-mining-in-the-congo-green-energy/100802588

      There’s an environmental cost, and a huge cost on a personal level to the people who mine it.

      It’s like if your house is burning down, but then a flood comes and puts out the fire.

      Sure, the fire is out, but now your house is underwater. We’re just switching one problem for another, not really solving anything

      Edit:

      Not sure why so many people think this comment is pro fossil fuels…

      But I’m not going to repeatedly explain the very basic concept that with two bad things, one is sometimes less bad.

      I really really thought people would already know that…

      • waigl@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        21
        ·
        10 months ago

        Batteries take “rare earth metals” like cobalt.

        Some Lithium-Ion batteries use Cobalt, but many don’t. Lithium-Iron-Phosphate, for example, is a popular variant without any Cobalt. There is a push going on to move to battery chemistries without Cobalt or to reduce the actual amount of Cobalt where it is still required.

        • marx2k@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          4
          arrow-down
          8
          ·
          10 months ago

          Lithium production does still take an insane amount of water to produce

            • XeroxCool@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              11
              arrow-down
              2
              ·
              10 months ago

              My car meme groups keep recirculating a shitty gotcha anti-EV screenshot of a post listing out how many tons of rock get processed for the minerals, the gallon-per-hour rate of the mining trucks, generators, transportation, blah blah blah as if petroleum just naturally drips put of weeds and into their gas tanks. But I guess if you dilute into the ocean and atmosphere, it doesn’t really count because you can’t see it.

      • Grimy@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        10 months ago

        People think your comment is pro fossil fuels because it’s literally a pro fossil fuel talking point. This is the kind of stuff they parrot. Dumb people think that having batteries somehow makes EVs equivalent to ICE when it comes to environmental impacts and will repeat exactly what you wrote while ignoring all the other facts.

        You can be right and still be a mouthpiece spreading oil propoganda.

      • n3m37h@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        10 months ago

        And petroleum products don’t? I don’t get your argument Lithium mining is pretty bad but nowhere near as bad as oil/fossil fuels

        Fracking contaminates ground water, when you pump oil out it get replaced with what? Water, once again contaminating everything it touches. Plus this doesn’t happen with Lithium mining either

        • SlopppyEngineer@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          10 months ago

          Rare earths for alloys in oil pipes. Cobalt to refine fossil fuels. Noble metals in catalytic converters. "Do as I say, not as I do "

      • Sightline@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        10 months ago

        Funny how people are overly concerned about cobalt in EV batteries but never cellphone batteries.

        • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          4
          ·
          10 months ago

          I said cobalt was an issue…

          Not just cobalt for EVs, even tho I shouldn’t need to explain that bigger batteries take more cobalt…

          Things might seem “funny” to you because you’re not understanding what they’re saying mate.

          If you’re nicer about being confused, people may be more willing to take time to help you. But this is the most help I’m giving considering what you said.