electric vehicles certainly do pollute

[charlie]

Something to think about, from marketwatch.com this morning

"...In the next 10 to 15 years, there will be millions of end-of-life electric cars worldwide; by that time, recycling plants need to be ready not only to take in all those batteries, reclaim valuable parts and metals, but also to properly dispose of the waste. Sadly, not much is being done on that front: Currently, only 5% of all Li-ion batteries are being recycled..."

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/e...ources-of-pollution-11634577011?mod=home-page

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[stoptothink]

Something to think about, from marketwatch.com this morning

"...In the next 10 to 15 years, there will be millions of end-of-life electric cars worldwide; by that time, recycling plants need to be ready not only to take in all those batteries, reclaim valuable parts and metals, but also to properly dispose of the waste. Sadly, not much is being done on that front: Currently, only 5% of all Li-ion batteries are being recycled..."

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/e...ources-of-pollution-11634577011?mod=home-page

Shouldn't be news to anybody. While obviously ICE engines emit more harmful substances into the air, there is no consensus as to whether ICE or EV vehicles are overall worse for the environment. There are massive concerns with EVs that we'll have to address too, anybody who says there isn't has an agenda.

 

[NewBernWolf]

I didn't read it, but if this is different from the many articles about disposing of electronics and batteries, I'll be glad to look at it. The gas and oil industries are among the biggest polluters on the planet, at least that's how it appears to the average consumer.

Mass consumption and waste is a big problem for the planet. We should probably be more supportive of environmental scientists and recycling.

 

[whtnrdy]

There may not be huge demand for old car batteries now but there will be in the future. Car batteries' capacity drop as they age, but the batteries can still hold ~75% charge and can be reutilized for household battery storage, or applications that don't result in regular discharges.

 

[MarcusBrody]

I don't think this will be a huge issue. By the time electric cars become mass products and then reach the end of their lifespan, I suspect that battery recycling will be well set up. The materials are just too valuable to waste and will become more so over time. Lots of companies now have pilot recycling programs and I suspect they all will in 10-15 years.

Now, that isn't to say that there aren't plenty of things to be done to minimize the environmental impact of cars, but end of life issues with the batteries don't strike me as one that is going to be gigantic.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-56574779

 

[JASmith]

The gas and oil industries are among the biggest polluters on the planet, at least that's how it appears to the average consumer.

Well, the big problem is that no matter how clean fossil fuel industry gets, they now consider CO2, a harmless substance you can and do regularly breathe in, as a toxin that will kill everyone (ignoring the fact that the world supported the most flora and fauna in our history during a pre-historic period in which CO2 levels were five times as high as they are today). They use language now like "climate change denier" in order to make it sound like a super taboo similar to "holocaust denier", and its become a very big business so unfortunately most people are already pretty entrenched on their side and room for rational discourse is pretty much thrown out the window.

Personally, I think EVs are premature and only exist thanks to massive subsidies that redistribute wealth from the middle to upper class (just over 94% of green subsidies paid out to date have gone to the top quintile of earners according to an article I read), and the happy medium are hybrids like the Maverick.

The middle class can afford them in large quantities, and they use a lot less fuel while only needing tiny lithium batteries. A great win-win situation.

 

[AdventureSetterland]

Something to think about, from marketwatch.com this morning

"...In the next 10 to 15 years, there will be millions of end-of-life electric cars worldwide; by that time, recycling plants need to be ready not only to take in all those batteries, reclaim valuable parts and metals, but also to properly dispose of the waste. Sadly, not much is being done on that front: Currently, only 5% of all Li-ion batteries are being recycled..."

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/e...ources-of-pollution-11634577011?mod=home-page

Shouldn’t be news to people. Though there are some that paint having an EV or a Hybrid as a groundbreaking change. It isn’t.

 

[FirstFord]

they now consider CO2, a harmless substance you can and do regularly breathe in, as a toxin that will kill everyone (ignoring the fact that the world supported the most flora and fauna in our history during a pre-historic period in which CO2 levels were five times as high as they are today).

Admins are going to delete me again...but you started it!

you're cherry-picking facts. Tell me what the earth looked like when CO2 levels were five times today's. Would that support current population and industry? How much current land mass was under water then? How much energy would be required to maintain businesses and residence temperatures worldwide with that annual average temperature?

There are no simple answers, but you can't make the problem go away by tossing out a single random fact (I'm giving you the credit of assuming it's actually accurate).

 

[STARCOMMTREY1]

Ill break this down real simple like.....most of the modern world pollutes less today than anytime in the last 60 years. The one real exception is China who alone is responsible for most of the worlds pollution today.

 

[fbov]

Something to think about, from marketwatch.com this morning

Why? It's just an opinion piece. Limited in focus and exploiting fear over information. This is just modern day sales techniques, tailor to hook the Facebook generation.

Let's remember that electric motors are not new, and all moving parts in a motor are on bearings. Only cheap parts wear out; the rotor and stator are reusable. We do that in industry all the time.

... China... alone is responsible for most of the worlds pollution today.

"Do as I say, not as I do" could be the mantra of this attitude. China is simply doing what we taught them to do. They will eventually learn, as we did, that there's a huge downside.

The real question is who will become the world leader in technologies of the future? Li-ion battery recycling is a tiny part of the opportunity. The only thing is certain: it won't be the US.

 

[STARCOMMTREY1]

Why? It's just an opinion piece. Limited in focus and exploiting fear over information. This is just modern day sales techniques, tailor to hook the Facebook generation.

Let's remember that electric motors are not new, and all moving parts in a motor are on bearings. Only cheap parts wear out; the rotor and stator are reusable. We do that in industry all the time.


"Do as I say, not as I do" could be the mantra of this attitude. China is simply doing what we taught them to do. They will eventually learn, as we did, that there's a huge downside.

The real question is who will become the world leader in technologies of the future? Li-ion battery recycling is a tiny part of the opportunity. The only thing is certain: it won't be the US.

One thing our govt has never taught is lax regulations.

 

[DryHeat]

they now consider CO2, a harmless substance you can and do regularly breathe in, as a toxin that will kill everyone

I assume you are joking or being hyperbolic, but... to avoid confusing others...

In reality, no climate scientist considers CO2 "a toxin that will kill everybody."

Whether you can breathe CO2 is unrelated to the climate claims about increased atmospheric CO2.

There are arguments for and against increased CO2, but being a toxin isn't one of them.

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