lithium

Batteries and Billions

The global need for lithium-ion batteries is projected to grow by over 500% in the next decade, creating a soaring demand for new battery factories and key components of batteries, especially metals. Establishing sustainable battery-supply chains is an important goal. Fortunately, metals are infinitely reusable, and so billions of dollars are being poured into new battery recycling plants.

By |2023-04-27T06:07:54-07:00April 27th, 2023|Our Amazing Earth|2 Comments

On Beyond Lithium – Part 1

Renewable energy from sunlight, water, and wind plays an important role worldwide—and renewable storage is essential to reduce imbalances between energy demand and energy production. We need to develop much more storage capacity; fortunately, there are efficient storage technologies already in use, as well as innovative alternative approaches under development.

By |2022-07-07T07:05:02-07:00July 7th, 2022|Our Amazing Earth|8 Comments

A Lighter Side of Lithium – Part 2

Meeting increased demand for lithium has a dark side of potentially damaging the environment and public health – but fortunately there is also a lighter side. Recycling can reclaim valuable metals including lithium from the battery packs that might otherwise end up in landfills. Together, recovery from other industrial operations and recycling could eventually reduce the need to wrestle new metal supplies out of the ground.

By |2021-03-04T07:36:47-07:00March 4th, 2021|Our Amazing Earth|6 Comments

A Lighter Side of Lithium – Part 1

Electric vehicles (EVs) are the wave of the future. Improvements in lithium-ion battery packs are occurring rapidly and prices are falling. Obtaining sufficient lithium to meet the growth ahead for EV has a dark side, involving open-pit mining and brine evaporation pools that can be devastating for the environment. Fortunately, there is also a lighter side that is gaining momentum.

By |2021-02-25T16:59:27-07:00February 25th, 2021|Our Amazing Earth|4 Comments

Where Lithium Lurks

The demand for lithium is increasing dramatically – and sources of this metal are being sought from the high elevations of the Andes Mountains to the lowlands of Australia. Lithium is widely distributed on our planet, but since concentrations of this metal are typically quite low, relatively few ores that are economical to mine have been found to date. There are currently three major sources.

By |2021-02-19T13:51:39-07:00February 18th, 2021|Our Amazing Earth|4 Comments
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