Lithium! Lets Make Some...

[70 copo]

Solar panels...Lithium Batteries... What do you do with them after they have reached the end of life? That's an uncomfortable topic...So how about just making the stuff?

The open mines and the huge environmental cost there is JUST the beginning. NIMBY (Not in my back yard) applies here SO- Lets jump a step or two and process and refine some... and lets be sure to exploit some third world country while we are at it...

as a review -mining:

[70 copo]

Processing is the real nasty process:

The common environmental side effects of lithium mining are water loss, ground destabilization, biodiversity loss, increased salinity of rivers, contaminated soil and toxic waste.

After the brine is pumped out from underneath the salt flat, it is left to evaporate through a series of ponds for 12–18 months, forming a mixture of potassium, magnesium, borax and lithium salts. For a ton of lithium, over 1 million gallons of water are required. The majority of this is lost to the sky in evaporation .

So for the locals lithium extraction inevitably harms the soil and causes air contamination and and diverts scarce water resources away from local communities.

Food for thought when considering how "green" an EV actually is.

[cheveslakr]

Yep, the writing on the wall is lithium mining WILL be opening up within our borders, then it'll be exposed for what it is....until then it's just a myth to most.

[Crush]

The current incentives and timelines are pushing the extraction and not incentivizing the safe mining and recycling methods. This has backfired on us many times throughout history and we will pay the price with our health, again.

[oldstv]

This is sad!

[KevinW]

Drilling for oil, oils spills, oil refining, methane leaks and flaring give off CO2, not to mention when those products are used (burned, more CO2 and NOX). Its all a sh*t show. Lets go back to Amish living!

[Charley Lillard]

Maybe someone can also post pics of oil wells, coal mines, oil spills, Exxon Valdez, Three Mile Island, pipelines, Fracking etc ? Study anything long enough you can figure out ways to say something is bad.

[Steve Shauger]

Originally Posted by Charley Lillard

Maybe someone can also post pics of oil wells, coal mines, oil spills, Exxon Valdez, Three Mile Island, pipelines, Fracking etc ? Study anything long enough you can figure out ways to say something is bad.

Yes, but hope we have learned from all the previous mistakes. If this is a real problem, we should have solutions. Whether the lithium is mined here or other countries. Also, perhaps future solar panel & battery technology advances will eliminate the need in the near future.

[dustinm]

Oil is still a major base element of Li battery construction too

[70 copo]

The issue is the constant push for “Green” technology-that upon examination almost completely relies on the technology it is replacing and actually is worse for the environment than what it is Intended to replace.