https://www.washingtonpost.com/
Electric vehicles, you might have heard, have a mineral problem. Beneath the floor of an EV sits a 900-pound battery filled with minerals extracted from around the world. Millions of tons of lithium, cobalt, bauxite and other minerals are mined, processed, shipped and refined — sometimes leaving a trail of human rights and environmental abuses.
For some, that makes fossil fuel engines look good by comparison. No one wants to drive around on the cobalt equivalent of blood diamonds. But does all this mining negate the climate and environmental benefits of EVs compared to sticking with gas?
I looked into the world’s evolving supply chains for the clean-energy economy. In every scenario, it turns out, the demand for battery minerals represents a tiny fraction of the amounts of fossil fuels now needed to power the world.
For some, that makes fossil fuel engines look good by comparison. No one wants to drive around on the cobalt equivalent of blood diamonds. But does all this mining negate the climate and environmental benefits of EVs compared to sticking with gas?
For the rest of this article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/09/19/electric-cars-better-environment-fossil-fuels/