More than 300 new mines needed to meet electric vehicle demand, says analyst

[The_Foxer]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/new-mines-electric-vehicles-1.6594008

Benchmark Mineral Intelligence estimates at least 384 new mines for graphite, lithium, nickel and cobalt will be required to meet electric vehicle demand by 2035. If battery materials can be recycled in large enough quantities, the firm says about 336 new mines would be needed.

Now, you think about how much gas and such has to be used to open those mines and 'mine' them... then the fact that in most of the world the electricity comes from burning fossil fuels anyway....

Not to mention that it doesn't sound like we're going to be able to open that many mines in time.............

Anyhoo - if you want a chuckle it's worth reading some of the comments

 

[Ron in Regina]

Here’s the irony…. how much electricity does an electric car produce (?) in order to store the electricity?

How much energy does an electric car need in a Canadian climate just the heat the battery using the energy from the battery…. to keep the battery from freezing?

 

[Jinentonix]

In 2018 the World Bank announced, to unsurprisingly little fanfare that we were currently at something like 84% of our mining sustainability. In order to meet the idiotic goal of net-zero by 2050 we will have to push that sustainability to over 100%. The math doesn't work. Never mind that outside of war, mining is the most environmentally destructive activity we routinely engage in.

And speaking of irony Ron, this is a picture of Lake Baotou, a product of the intersection of modern electronics and the push for so-called "green tech". The irony is, it's estimated there's a enough thorium in that sludge to meet the world's energy needs for the next 200 years.

 

[Wise]

I guess in the long-long-term, it would create better environment.

 

[Wise]

How toxic is that "lake"? So, what is in it, exactly?

 

[Jinentonix]

How toxic is that "lake"? So, what is in it, exactly?

For every ton of REEs (rare earth elements) taken from the ground, there are 340,000 to 420,000 cubic feet of waste gas containing dust concentrate, hydrofluoric acid, sulfur dioxide, and sulfuric acid released. Additionally, approximately 2,600 cubic feet of acidic waste-water and about a ton of radioactive waste residue are also produced.

The waste-water has created a gigantic lake of poisonous sludge, reeking of sulfur and deadly toxic chemicals. Tim Maughan went to see Lake Baotou on assignment with the BBC. His report described the lake as an “alien environment,” and one that depressed and terrified him. The pictures he brought back attest to this, and something even more important.

The pictures show us the seamier side of an industry that drives our technological advances today. We are so quick to condemn petroleum companies, power plants and anything else we can think of for contributing to the pollutiion of our world, but we stop at condemning anything that might affect our need for better smartphones, tablets, flat screen Tvs and hybrid automobiles. It does beg the question of where do we draw the line?

One person even likened it to something you'd see in Mordor.

Ironically, it's estimated there's enough thorium in that sludge to meet the world's energy needs for the next 200 years.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Wait. . . so now we're pretending to care about the environment?

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

For every ton of REEs (rare earth elements) taken from the ground, there are 340,000 to 420,000 cubic feet of waste gas containing dust concentrate, hydrofluoric acid, sulfur dioxide, and sulfuric acid released. Additionally, approximately 2,600 cubic feet of acidic waste-water and about a ton of radioactive waste residue are also produced.

The waste-water has created a gigantic lake of poisonous sludge, reeking of sulfur and deadly toxic chemicals. Tim Maughan went to see Lake Baotou on assignment with the BBC. His report described the lake as an “alien environment,” and one that depressed and terrified him. The pictures he brought back attest to this, and something even more important.

The pictures show us the seamier side of an industry that drives our technological advances today. We are so quick to condemn petroleum companies, power plants and anything else we can think of for contributing to the pollutiion of our world, but we stop at condemning anything that might affect our need for better smartphones, tablets, flat screen Tvs and hybrid automobiles. It does beg the question of where do we draw the line?

One person even likened it to something you'd see in Mordor.

Ironically, it's estimated there's enough thorium in that sludge to meet the world's energy needs for the next 200 years.

Remember a few days back when you were yelling at me that lithium-ion battery combustion and oil/gas/coal/NG disasters were a "safety matter?"

Well, the rare-earth mine pollution problem is a regulatory issue. Just like strip mining was.

The poisonous Lake Baotou is not much different from the Niger River delta, or the mountaintop-removal mining in West Virginia.

Funny how you don't mention those.

 

[petros]

For every ton of REEs (rare earth elements) taken from the ground, there are 340,000 to 420,000 cubic feet of waste gas containing dust concentrate, hydrofluoric acid, sulfur dioxide, and sulfuric acid released. Additionally, approximately 2,600 cubic feet of acidic waste-water and about a ton of radioactive waste residue are also produced.

The waste-water has created a gigantic lake of poisonous sludge, reeking of sulfur and deadly toxic chemicals. Tim Maughan went to see Lake Baotou on assignment with the BBC. His report described the lake as an “alien environment,” and one that depressed and terrified him. The pictures he brought back attest to this, and something even more important.

The pictures show us the seamier side of an industry that drives our technological advances today. We are so quick to condemn petroleum companies, power plants and anything else we can think of for contributing to the pollutiion of our world, but we stop at condemning anything that might affect our need for better smartphones, tablets, flat screen Tvs and hybrid automobiles. It does beg the question of where do we draw the line?

One person even likened it to something you'd see in Mordor.

Ironically, it's estimated there's enough thorium in that sludge to meet the world's energy needs for the next 200 years.

Dont worry, Saskatchewan has got this.

Saskatchewan emerges as continental rare earth processing, research and education hub

The Sept. 20 rare earths summit in Saskatoon will showcase the province’s growing rare earth hub and its future as a global player.

nationalpost.com

 

[Jinentonix]

Remember a few days back when you were yelling at me that lithium-ion battery combustion and oil/gas/coal/NG disasters were a "safety matter?"

Yep, and I also remember stating that oil, gas and coal (except lignite) don't just spontaneously combust for no reason.

Well, the rare-earth mine pollution problem is a regulatory issue. Just like strip mining was.

Well as we can see, China has some fucking great regulations don't they. And the West couldn't give two shits or a rat's ass about it.

The poisonous Lake Baotou is not much different from the Niger River delta, or the mountaintop-removal mining in West Virginia.

Except for the fact the Niger River Delta or West Virgina aren't literally sitting on and ignoring the solution to our energy needs for the next 200 years.

Funny how you don't mention those.

You mean like when I stated more than once on this forum that outside of war, mining is the most environmentally destructive activity we routinely engage in?
Of course if you had the faintest grasp of context you'd understand that I singled out Lake Baotou because the processes there are what's fueling the so-called "green" movement.
I'm pretty sure no one has stated that African oil or West Virgnia coal was green. Yet there seems to be a lot of stupid fucking retards who think lithium batteries and shit made with REEs are "green tech".

This is how truly fucking stupid this is. It takes up to 3 bbls of oil to produce a single 1000lb lithium battery. A battery that has the equivalent power of 1 bbl of oil. 50,000 tons of material has to be dug up just to find enough lithium to produce a single half-ton battery. It takes 5000,000 gallons of water just to produce 1 ton of lithium.

In 2018 the World Bank stated that we were pushing 84% of our mining sustainability and the push for net-zero by 2050 would push that sustainability to over 100%. The report was written before countries started mandating EVs so that sustainability will take a further big hit. So yeah, not really seeing the "green" aspect here.

I'm not bitching about mining either. It's an absolute necessity for human survival. But don't piss down my back and tell me it's raining. Mining and refining aren't green. Never have been, never will be.

 

[taxme]

How toxic is that "lake"? So, what is in it, exactly?

Toxins of course, what else. Why would they even bother to take samples of the toxic sludge in the first place is beyond me.

 

[taxme]

I guess in the long-long-term, it would create better environment.

I guess that there will be nothing growing in that toxic environment for a very very long time. Can the farmers replace the nitrogen fertilizer that the governments of the world want to get rid of with that toxic shit? Just wondering. LOL.

 

[taxme]

Now, you think about how much gas and such has to be used to open those mines and 'mine' them... then the fact that in most of the world the electricity comes from burning fossil fuels anyway....

Not to mention that it doesn't sound like we're going to be able to open that many mines in time.............

Anyhoo - if you want a chuckle it's worth reading some of the comments

This whole go green bullshit is just that, all green maniac bullshit. But we must not tell the green machine politicians of ours that they need fossil fuels to charge their EV's. That might just burst their green bubble. Just saw on the internet where an EV vehicle battery caught on fire in Florida after the battery got soaking wet from all of the rain that fell in Florida during their hurricane disaster. To charge an EV battery it takes plenty of energy where that energy needs fossil fuels to charge an EV. And old senile BiDumb is still trying to eliminate fossil fuels from being produced in America as much as he can. WTF?

This whole green climate crap is just an attack on the fossil fuel industry to try and make America go green and where many people like Elon Musk will get even richer from selling more EV vehicles along with the many more scum bags that hope to make plenty of money from pushing the leftist liberal globalshit green agenda. Everything is always about the money.

In California, the politicians were asking their residents to back off in using electricity because of the hot weather that they were recently having that was taking a toll on the supply of electricity from people who were using their A/C's way too much. What are they going to do when there are 15 million EV's on the roads in California? They are probably going to need windmills and solar panels on every street corner in California just to try and keep the flow of electricity going with the help of fossil fuels of course. With the amount of bullshit that our politicians spew out every day, who really needs fertilizer anymore. Just saying.

 

[Dixie Cup]

Wait. . . so now we're pretending to care about the environment?

Who doesn't care about the environment? Just because there are those of us who disagree with current policies because they're down right STUPID, doesn't mean we don't care about the environment. Simply stating this is disgusting & not true at all.

It's a stupid & disingenuous argument.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Who doesn't care about the environment? Just because there are those of us who disagree with current policies because they're down right STUPID, doesn't mean we don't care about the environment. Simply stating this is disgusting & not true at all.

It's a stupid & disingenuous argument.

You don't. I disagree with True Dope's idiot policies. They're rubbish, they'll never happen, they're just to play to the Libs, and they will cost a lot of money and the credibility of Canadian government.

Difference is, I focus on the environment and the desirability of intelligent conservation and technical/scientific progress. You and yours just want to OWN THE LIBS, and if you think about any substantive issues, it's strictly an afterthought when you're finished hating.

The solution, as it has been since the first time Ogg realized that fire-hardening his sharp stick made it harder, stronger, and less breakage-prone, is engineering. Not politics. Not wailing about how the Libs have stolen the Good Old Days from you.

Engineering.

 

[petros]

Do you care?

 

[pgs]

You don't. I disagree with True Dope's idiot policies. They're rubbish, they'll never happen, they're just to play to the Libs, and they will cost a lot of money and the credibility of Canadian government.

Difference is, I focus on the environment and the desirability of intelligent conservation and technical/scientific progress. You and yours just want to OWN THE LIBS, and if you think about any substantive issues, it's strictly an afterthought when you're finished hating.

The solution, as it has been since the first time Ogg realized that fire-hardening his sharp stick made it harder, stronger, and less breakage-prone, is engineering. Not politics. Not wailing about how the Libs have stolen the Good Old Days from you.

Engineering.

Are you involved in stream and watershed conservation and restoration ? Waterfowl and or migratory aquatic species ? Any of the local projects that can affect the direct area

 

[petros]

Are you involved in stream and watershed conservation and restoration ? Waterfowl and or migratory aquatic species ? Any of the local projects that can affect the direct area

There are jobs galore for moonbeams to work in conservation and reclaimation but its for either oil and heavy industry or for organizations that work with oil, industry and evil hunters such as Ducks Unlimited.

Why these two? Nobody else is doing anything for the environment.

 

[pgs]

There are jobs galore for moonbeams to work in conservation and reclaimation but its for either oil and heavy industry or for organizations that work with oil, industry and evil hunters such as Ducks Unlimited.

Why these two? Nobody else is doing anything for the environment.

Certainly most of the paying work , but there are many community projects people can get involved with volunteering . Some of these small local projects do more good then all the campaigns against oil combined .

 

[Dixie Cup]

You don't. I disagree with True Dope's idiot policies. They're rubbish, they'll never happen, they're just to play to the Libs, and they will cost a lot of money and the credibility of Canadian government.

Difference is, I focus on the environment and the desirability of intelligent conservation and technical/scientific progress. You and yours just want to OWN THE LIBS, and if you think about any substantive issues, it's strictly an afterthought when you're finished hating.

The solution, as it has been since the first time Ogg realized that fire-hardening his sharp stick made it harder, stronger, and less breakage-prone, is engineering. Not politics. Not wailing about how the Libs have stolen the Good Old Days from you.

Enginee

That's a pretty ignorant comment. I'm sure you're really proud of yourself. Come on man (as a famous person states on a regular basis LOL)

I, like 99.99% of the people here in Canada, do want a viable, healthy environment so why you would lower yourself to "woke" status is mind blowing. That's what the woke do - start with the name calling & disperagement. I disagree with the Liberals because their policies suck and so because I disagree with them, YOU state that I don't care about it! What tomfoolery that is - really logical.

The issue is that the Libs don't have any solution to pretty much everything except to tax which isn't a solution at all. So I criticize them because I believe they're policies are wrong.