By Marta Koblańska, February 4, 15:30, Photo: public, Pixabay
Why European Union is in charge of less than 10 percent of global emissions? Because it locates the burden in developing world.
Our planet is getting warmer and warmer. Temperatures records and cataclysms show us how tiny we are in the clash with power of nature. Nature, who is executing its rights when too much harm has been done to it. One of these harms includes emissions we all produce and release to the atmosphere in various amounts. Of course, nowadays we are aware of their devastate character and we are even trying to slash them as much as possible. But at the same time we are addicted to the way of life we either gained or aspire to gain.
As prof. James Holland Jones of Stanford University stated some time ago we are rather not to go back to the past and live as hunter-gathers societies nevertheless selected elements of this way of life stick on. We strive to go further and further. And technologies we develop and upgrade may enable so as there is no coming back to the time that passed.
Sustainability in a nutshell
One of examples of advance represents cars with electricity-powered engine instead of traditional oil. If electricity feeding the vehicle comes from renewables, the environmental profit is twice as much as the one without. But batteries for those machines need materials to store as much energy as possible thus being a very energy-dense. And this is the trap. But on the other hand, as state scientists from Stanford in the newly published study in ,,Nature Communication”, the solution here could be recycling. Scientists claim the process may cut environmental costs by two thirds in terms of water use necessary to mine minerals and energy crucial for such a battery work.
The trick here would be though the location of mines that is dependent on resources availability and has been more in favor for developing world as well as location of recycling and production facilities what premiums more developed regions.
Recycling of batteries in regions heavily dependent on electricity generated by burning coal would see diminish climate advantage
holds Samantha Bunke, PHD student at Stanford.
But, on the other hand, fresh-water shortages in regions with cleaner electricity are a great concern,
she adds.
The challenge is also transportation. Both new and old minerals may be transported via road, rail or sea for further refining. There are already existing centres of their processing and recycling for market purposes but there may be a demand for more. For example, as the study states, 80 percent of the global supply of cobalt is mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Then, 75 percent travels to China for refining. Substantial share of the global supply of lithium is mined in Australia and Chile. Batteries for recycling also need their way to a dedicated facility. That makes the total transport distance the whole globe and a half. And all of these cost. This one who can pay for the final product is being slashing emissions at the same time securing future minerals supply.
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