battery production
Credit: Fahroni/Big Stock Photo
Toxic chemicals in EV battery production raise health concerns
As the demand for electric vehicle batteries grows, communities near production sites worry about toxic chemical exposure and health risks.
In short:
- EV batteries use PVDF, a polymer made by companies previously linked to dangerous chemical emissions.
- Residents near these plants, such as in New Jersey and Georgia, report health issues and ongoing legal battles over contamination.
- Experts warn that new manufacturing methods may still produce harmful byproducts, posing ongoing risks.
Key quote:
"For 45 years we’ve lived in it, bathed in it, cooked with it, drank it.’"
— Richard Bond, local citizen who lives downriver of Solvay Specialty Polymers
Why this matters:
While the transition to EVs is celebrated for its promise of reducing carbon emissions and combating climate change, the environmental and health impacts of battery production are raising alarms.
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Credit: 24K-Production/BigStock Photo ID: 395598812
Mining the heavens: companies pursue space resources
Mining asteroids could offer potential relief for Earth's resource strain.
In short:
- A new wave of companies, including AstroForge, aims to mine asteroids for valuable metals like platinum and cobalt, which are essential for electronics and electric vehicle batteries.
- Despite previous failures in asteroid mining, current prospects are bolstered by reduced rocket costs and favorable regulatory changes, sparking renewed interest.
- Innovations such as simulated extraction missions and telescopes for detecting asteroids are among the strategies companies are deploying to realize their cosmic ambitions.
Key quote:
“People were much more supportive of mining asteroids than other forms of frontier mining like mining the ocean floor, mining Antarctica, and mining the Alaskan tundra."
— Matthew Hornsey, University of Queensland, lead study author.
Why this matters:
Space mining presents a potentially less environmentally damaging alternative to terrestrial extraction, especially crucial for clean energy technologies. However, the challenges of space debris and ethical concerns about cosmic exploitation remain formidable.
Read more: In push to mine for minerals, clean energy advocates ask what going green really means.
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Credit: EARTHWORKS/Flickr
Oil companies used to run this town. Now they’re back — to mine for lithium.
Fossil fuel companies like ExxonMobil are looking at rural communities to mine for critical minerals, raising familiar hopes and fears.
Batteries of the future: How cotton and seawater might power our devices
Mining the lithium and other minerals we need for batteries is taking an increasing toll on the environment. There are alternative materials all around us though.
U.S. plan calls for EV battery plants in Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia
An agreement for EV battery plants would help African nations process their raw materials instead of richer nations getting the benefits.
| BigStock Photo ID: 477905677 |
| Copyright: hobbitfoot |
America just hit the lithium jackpot
The world’s largest-known deposit was just discovered in Nevada. What does that mean?
With loan guarantee, Eos Energy’s Turtle Creek manufacturing expansion is under way
Eos Energy Enterprises is embarking upon a $500 million expansion of its Turtle Creek battery manufacturing operation, and the potential for hundreds of new jobs.
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