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Lithium mining and cobalt mining and oil extraction and...

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Lithium Mining and Environmental Impact
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Like any mining operation, mining lithium has its impact on the environment. Today’s mining companies take sustainable development very seriously and responsibly and focus on environmental management more than ever.

Each time we begin talking about mining for resources, there is an environmental concern. While USA and other developed countries are pursuing becoming independant from fossil fuels in favor of alternatie fuels and electircally powered cars, there’s a bigger picture.

When it comes to mass production of hybrid and electric vehicles, the main problem has been a shortage of batteries. And the main material in growing demand is lithium. An element found in abundance in South America, where the cheapest extraction method by evaporating salt brines in the solar ponds deploys usage of cheap and toxic PVC; and in lithium-rich regions of Chile where extracting the metal uses two-thirds of the area’s fresh drinking water.

Lithium is the 33rd most abundant element, however, it does not naturally occur in its pure form due to its high reactivity. Lithium metal, due to its alkaline properties, is corrosive and reacts with water. Breathing lithium dust or alkaline lithium compounds irritates respiratory tracts. Prolonged exposure to lithium can cause fluid to build-up in the lungs, leading to pulmonary edema. The metal itself is a handling hazard because of the caustic hydroxide produced when it is in contact with water causing an explosion.

Lithium mining carries high environmental costs. Mining companies prospecting lithium in northern Tibet, salt plains of South America, and Chile as well as lithium at Bolivia's Salar De Uyuni require extensive extraction operations and water in a dry land.

But according to an article published by TIME, “lithium mining, as observed in countries with deposits like Chile, Argentina and China, seems to be less hazardous than other kinds of mineral extraction. ‘Lithium could be one of the least contaminating mining processes,’ says Marco Octavio Rivera of Bolivia’s Environmental Defense League, although he notes that prolonged exposure to lithium can cause nervous system disorders.”

Everything comes at the cost, so while the environmental impact might not be worse than mountaintop mining, it’s going to be important to pay attention to the environmental impact, because there will be one.

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  • Informative
Reactions: Xenoilphobe
what, @ThomasD you didn't mention Cobalt? Come on now, where are your troll chops if you didn't mention conflict cobalt.
so funny :rolleyes:
[edit]
Just realized you also didn't mention all of the coal fired power stations that make electricity for EV's
good grief, do we have to hand this stuff to you?
 
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  • Funny
Reactions: Xenoilphobe
Not quite, sir. The US is a net exporter of refined oil. But let me tell you about my Labor day 10 hour drive from LA to Phoenix (normally done in 5 hrs) in my MX with family in tow, because all charging stations had 40 minute line ups.
We must be fortunate here on the east coast, I have never had to wait to charge in over seven years of ownership and 3 Teslas.

Key word is "refined", so we take other peoples crude and refine it... causing even more pollution - glad I don't live in Texas or Louisiana.

Source: How much petroleum does the United States import and export? - FAQ - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

How much petroleum does the United States import and export?

In 2018, the United States imported about 9.94 million barrels per day (MMb/d) of petroleum from nearly 90 countries.

Petroleum includes crude oil, hydrocarbon gas liquids, refined petroleum products such as gasoline and diesel fuel, and biofuels including ethanol and biodiesel. Crude oil accounted for about 78% of U.S. gross petroleum imports in 2018, and non-crude oil petroleum accounted for about 22% of gross petroleum imports.

In 2018, the United States exported about 7.60 MMb/d of petroleum to about 190 countries and 4 U.S. territories, of which about 27% was crude oil and 73% was non-crude oil petroleum. The resulting net imports (imports minus exports) of petroleum were about 2.34 MMb/d.

The top five source countries of U.S. petroleum imports in 2018 were Canada, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Venezuela, and Iraq.

Top sources and amounts of U.S. petroleum imports (percent share of total), respective exports, and net imports, 2018
million barrels per day
Import sources
Gross imports Exports Net imports
Total, all countries 9.94 7.60 2.34
OPEC countries 2.89 (29%) 0.31
2.58
Persian Gulf countries 1.58 (16%) 0.05 1.53
Top five countries1
Canada 4.29 (43%) 1.02 3.27
Saudi Arabia 0.90 (9%) <0.01 0.90
Mexico 0.72 (7%) 1.19 -0.48
Venezuela 0.59 (6%) 0.12 0.46
Iraq 0.52 (5%) <0.01 0.52
Note: Ranking in the table is based on gross imports by country of origin. Net imports volumes in the table may not equal gross imports minus exports because of independent rounding of data.

The top five destination countries of U.S. petroleum exports, export volume, and share of total petroleum exports in 2018 were

Mexico—1.19 MMb/d—16%
Canada—1.02 MMb/d—13%
Japan—0.47 MMb/d—6%
Brazil—0.40 MMb/d—5%
South Korea—0.38 MMb/d—5%

OPEC Countries - 29% of imports:
  • Algeria (1969-present)
  • Angola (2007-present)
  • Ecuador (1973-1992 and 2007-present)
  • Equatorial Guinea (2017-present)
  • Gabon (1975-1994 and 2016-present)
  • Iran (1960-present)
  • Indonesia (1962-2008 and 2016)
  • Iraq (1960-present)
  • Kuwait (1960-present)
  • Libya (1962-present)
  • Nigeria (1971-present)
  • Qatar (1961-present)
  • Republic of Congo (June 2018-present)
  • Saudi Arabia (1960-present)
  • United Arab Emirates (1967-present) and
  • Venezuela (1960-present)
Persian Gulf Countries - 16% of imports:
  • Bahrain
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Kuwait
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • United Arab Emirates
 
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  • Informative
Reactions: VRM3
Of course there are advantages and disadvantages - what does that have to do with your massive post about lithium mining?
To be clear, nothing wrong with your post about mining, but it is very misleading because it conflates one element that is used to build a vehicle and then be recycled, then compares it to an ICE which takes large quantities of single use materials (not just oil) to spew poisonous gas just to make it move, then having to continuously extract more and more in an ongoing cycle.
Please do not forget cobalt. Refining and making fuel uses cobalt and lots of it.
Cobalt is also used for hardening metals and producing stainless steel.
 
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Thomas D is aware that oil extraction and refining petroleum isn't exactly a clean process. He is aware that it takes as much electricity to run one refinery as a medium sized city, isn't he?

He is aware the the end result of oil use is a mass extinction event, isn't he?
 
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I like electric cars I think the Model S is a good looking car. I just can't afford one. The Tesla may not burn it but it does use it. Could the Government stop the use of oil Sure it could. You wouldn't have Hydraulic Pumps Plastics, Lubricants, Vinyl, Rubber. Can't launch Rockets We could have a carbon tax on everything made from or that uses Oil. A Carbon tax on Airline and Cruise Ship tickets. The pipe drain that goes from the House to the street sewer is PVC.so we tax it. I read an article on banning all single use plastics. That would be impossible to do. Some Cities have banned plastic straws. They allow Drug use though which end up in the sewers and Oceans anyway
 
I like electric cars I think the Model S is a good looking car. I just can't afford one. The Tesla may not burn it but it does use it. Could the Government stop the use of oil Sure it could. You wouldn't have Hydraulic Pumps Plastics, Lubricants, Vinyl, Rubber. Can't launch Rockets We could have a carbon tax on everything made from or that uses Oil. A Carbon tax on Airline and Cruise Ship tickets. The pipe drain that goes from the House to the street sewer is PVC.so we tax it. I read an article on banning all single use plastics. That would be impossible to do. Some Cities have banned plastic straws. They allow Drug use though which end up in the sewers and Oceans anyway
Sorry, still not getting the connection to your post about how bad lithium mining is.
 
I'm just saying that lithium mining can cause environmental damage as well. Also chemicals used to extract it can poison the water. Just like Oil wells and Fracking can. We need to be mindful so we don't end up with another environmental disaster.
www.wired.co.uk/article/lithium-batteries-environment-impact
Wow, so many disconnected topics and so little cohesion or even connection.
Still ignoring that lithium is a once per car deal, while oil is a never ending once per engine revolution.
Carbon tax is about emissions (usually from transportation) not plastics or rubber
Single use plastics is a disposal issue, not creation or PVC pipes or anything like that.
What next? Are we going to go to solar panels being a health risk :rolleyes:
or maybe the deadly dihydrogen monoxide - the health risks of that are real!
 
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