There are lots of things to consider about "renewable" energy, et cetera.
I hope we consider the actual costs of these energy sources, and find ways to bring their ecological cost down (rather than trading out ecological disasters).
This is really fascinating. EVs have been touted as so good for the environment but unless you have access to information like this, you have no idea of all the issues with batteries. I live in what used to be a big coal mining area and the humanitarian issues with mining are stark as Alexa noted. Nothing is simple!!! But this is really helpful to be aware of.
I live in CA and the electric car thing is bonkers. The lust for, and narrative around, e-vehicles seems to have always conveniently ignored the battery problem.
Replacing the battery is obvi a recycling nightmare and I'm glad this is coming to light in a major pub like this one. Fascinating stuff.
Doen't even scratch the surface with the humanitarian crisis that is the mining of these metals & minerals.
Such a complex thing. There's no win. Guzzling gas is a lose, e-vehicles are theator for feeling like you're making a better choice, etc etc. I'm jaded tho, chasing a smart recycling method feels like another way to avoid looking our reliance on driving friggin' everywhere in the face for what it is….nyet great (at least for those of us not blessed with good, greener urban/public transit etc). Is this recycling push just another bandaid for bad behaviors/systems overall?
Good points all around. I’ve been blessed by bikeable distances and cities with public transport all my life. From one green perspective, urbanization (with good city infrastructure) makes sense. But cities intuitively don’t sound that green (noise, air pollution, possible absence of nature, …), I’d understand the “green” urge to not live in one. Then again, living a modern life outside a city without driving around much sounds difficult!
That's an interesting point - maybe as a society we should try to change our behavior. Do we really need to drive everywhere? Can we pay better attention and by tomatoes for 3 cents cheaper at a local market, rather than going to Walmart just because that's what we're used to? There's a trick to altering societal behavior, though, and it isn't easy. The 20th century saw several solutions that were obviously not good. Becoming more environmentally cognizant is a good thing, even though it is apparent that we can still do better.
What sells is what gets developed. If someone can't make a profit, there's little interest in making it happen.
Also, people want convenience, and they want it now; even better if there can be a "warm and fuzzy" about it.
How to convince people, en masse, one at a time?
There are lots of things to consider about "renewable" energy, et cetera. I hope we consider the actual costs of these energy sources, and find ways to bring their ecological cost down (rather than trading out ecological disasters).
Or even just acknowledge that there are trade offs any direction we go.
This is really fascinating. EVs have been touted as so good for the environment but unless you have access to information like this, you have no idea of all the issues with batteries. I live in what used to be a big coal mining area and the humanitarian issues with mining are stark as Alexa noted. Nothing is simple!!! But this is really helpful to be aware of.
Important convos here!
I live in CA and the electric car thing is bonkers. The lust for, and narrative around, e-vehicles seems to have always conveniently ignored the battery problem.
Replacing the battery is obvi a recycling nightmare and I'm glad this is coming to light in a major pub like this one. Fascinating stuff.
Doen't even scratch the surface with the humanitarian crisis that is the mining of these metals & minerals.
Such a complex thing. There's no win. Guzzling gas is a lose, e-vehicles are theator for feeling like you're making a better choice, etc etc. I'm jaded tho, chasing a smart recycling method feels like another way to avoid looking our reliance on driving friggin' everywhere in the face for what it is….nyet great (at least for those of us not blessed with good, greener urban/public transit etc). Is this recycling push just another bandaid for bad behaviors/systems overall?
Good points all around. I’ve been blessed by bikeable distances and cities with public transport all my life. From one green perspective, urbanization (with good city infrastructure) makes sense. But cities intuitively don’t sound that green (noise, air pollution, possible absence of nature, …), I’d understand the “green” urge to not live in one. Then again, living a modern life outside a city without driving around much sounds difficult!
That's an interesting point - maybe as a society we should try to change our behavior. Do we really need to drive everywhere? Can we pay better attention and by tomatoes for 3 cents cheaper at a local market, rather than going to Walmart just because that's what we're used to? There's a trick to altering societal behavior, though, and it isn't easy. The 20th century saw several solutions that were obviously not good. Becoming more environmentally cognizant is a good thing, even though it is apparent that we can still do better. What sells is what gets developed. If someone can't make a profit, there's little interest in making it happen. Also, people want convenience, and they want it now; even better if there can be a "warm and fuzzy" about it. How to convince people, en masse, one at a time?