Solar, Wind, & Other Cleantech News

5 thoughts on “Solar, Wind, & Other Cleantech News”

• Hi Zachary,

  Do you want to weigh in on this article.

  http://spectrum.ieee.org/energy/renewables/unclean-at-any-speed

  Thanks

  • It’s just a hit piece on EVs which uses worst case assumptions and cherry-picks worst case practices.

    For a while China created a lot of hazardous waste with their solar panel manufacturing practices. They’ve cleaned it up.

    The fact that there was, at one time, bad practices in place make solar panels bad?

    • Here is my response 🙂

      http://thingssensible.blogspot.com/2013/07/sorry-ozzie-zehner-electric-cars-are.html

      • Thanks. Will share. 😀

  • I grabbed a bit of the article…

    “In addition, the magnets in the motors of some electric vehicles
    contain rare earth metals. Curiously, these metals are not as rare as
    their name might suggest. They are, however, sprinkled thinly across the
    globe, making their extraction uneconomical in most places. In a study released last year,a group of MIT researchers calculated that global mining of two rare earth metals, neodymium and dysprosium, would need to increase 700 percent and 2600 percent, respectively, over the next 25 years to keep pace with various green-tech plans. Complicating matters is the fact
    that China, the world’s leading producer of rare earths, has been
    attempting to restrict its exports of late. Substitute strategies exist,
    but deploying them introduces trade-offs in efficiency or cost.

    The materials used in batteries are no less burdensome to the
    environment, the MIT study noted. Compounds such as lithium, copper, and
    nickel must be coaxed from the earth and processed in ways that demand
    energy and can release toxic wastes. And in regions with poor
    regulations, mineral extraction can extend risks beyond just the workers
    directly involved. Surrounding populations may be exposed to toxic
    substances through air and groundwater contamination.”

    We have recently reopened our rare earth mining and processing plants in the US. Those plants operate under EPA guidelines.

    Tesla and Toyota use no rare earth minerals in their EVs. We also build wind turbines without rare earth magnets.

    “can release toxic wastes” ” can extend risks beyond just the workers
    directly involved” “Surrounding populations may be exposed to toxic
    substances through air and groundwater contamination.”

    Can, may – weasel words. Sure do it the wrong way and you can create problems. There is no reason why we need to do it the wrong way.

    It’s a piece of yellow journalism.

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