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.
Good.
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…
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.
Lithium production does still take an insane amount of water to produce
Wait until you hear about the oil refining process!
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.
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.
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
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 "
Funny how people are overly concerned about cobalt in EV batteries but never cellphone batteries.
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.
Is there an environmental cost with fossil fuels?
The unstoppable rise of title is leading to a domino effect that puts all my sanity at risk.
This story is Analyst begging us to think of the fossil fuels.
Won’t someone please think of the fossils.
Oh won’t sinecure think of the oil barrons!
Wait, what’s that? They’re shifting their focus to plastics and the life that recycling works even though nobody wants to pay to make it work?
Well shit.
This is the second click bait article I’ve seen today from L4sBot.
It’s nice to get some good news on occasion.
TIL: About RMI, or, the Rocky Mountain Institute. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMI_(energy_organization) So the kinda “Huh?” headline makes sense.
One of their focuses is changing energy usage patterns by changing demand.
In several sections, with minimal numbers and many helpful charts, the article takes us thru how evolving battery technology will lead to lessened fossil fuel demand.
This chart is pretty shocking, and makes IEA look like idiots. Or maybe it’s malice? The IEA’s founding purpose was to protect the Oil industry. Supposedly they now also work to “promote clean energy transitions”… but if that’s their goal they don’t seem to be doing a very good job.
Correct. You should add the label that this chart compares forecast demand for EVs vs actual demand, along with the revised forecasts.
My favorite is the IEA forecast for Solar adoption
OK, but who’s going to be transporting all those batteries? Lorries, that’s who.
