Introduction
From droughts to floods, from freezing winters to sizzling summers, our generation is beginning to feel the impacts of climate change. A recent study by Oxfam and the Swiss Re Institute suggested that a climate catastrophe will cost G7 countries over $5 trillion by 2030. Furthermore, developing countries are expected to experience more climate disasters due to less climate-resilient infrastructures. This could potentially lead to the displacement of over 200 million while triggering 100 million more to fall below the poverty line, as climate change could be the catalyst for food shortages, water supply problems and rising sea levels.
On the bright side, society is gradually becoming more mindful of their consumption. Alongside this, companies are becoming increasingly pressured to venture into the realms of sustainability, especially the automobile companies who are contributing immensely to greenhouse gas emissions. In fact in 2018 alone, Greenpeace estimated that the car industry is responsible for 9% of global annual greenhouse gas. Meanwhile by 2019, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggested that the overarching transport industry is responsible for 29% of greenhouse gas emission.
Enter Electric Vehicles
The public has been thrilled by the arrival of electric vehicles. In fact, the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicted that the demand for electric vehicles is expected to rocket from 3 million in 2017 to 23 million in 2030.
Electric vehicles use electrically rechargeable batteries to power their engines. Other than its contribution to better engine performance, electric vehicles emit zero harmful gases when driven. This, in itself, is a major milestone in achieving sustainability in the transport industry.
However, critics reject the notion that electric vehicles are 100% emission-free. This occurs as electricity in some countries is generated by burning coal which releases C02 into the atmosphere. Despite this, it is agreed by many researchers and not-for-profits that electric vehicles still emit less C02 than their fossil fuel counterparts.
To further solidify this hypothesis, a team of scientists from the universities of Exeter, Nijmegen and Cambridge found that electric cars contributed 30% less carbon in the UK than petrol cars. The number reached 70% in France and Sweden, where electricity is increasingly sourced from renewable energy. This number is predicted to continue to improve with innovations in sustainable electricity generation.
The Underlying Imperfections
Despite being an improvement on fossil-fueled cars, Electric vehicles aren’t without their flaws and limitations. However, researchers and activists remain hopeful that further innovation in this technology will be the genesis of future sustainable transport.
The Depleting Supply
The major shortcoming of electric vehicles lies in the production of the batteries. The majority of electric vehicles use lithium-ions batteries, which are made using rare earth materials such as lithium and cobalt. As the demand for electric vehicles is predicted to rise, there are major concerns that the irresponsible consumption of these minerals could lead to future shortages. This is particularly concerning as some of these materials are considered irreplaceable for some medical equipment.
Lithium is commonly sourced from mines around Argentina, Bolivia and Chile. An investigation by the Environment and Natural Resources Foundation (FARN) has found that mining activities have breached Argentinian environmental laws and pose a threat to the local community through environmental contamination.
Quinoa farmers and Llama herders in Chile’s Salar de Atacama are a perfect example of communities most affected by lithium mining. They are forced to abandon ancestral settlements as lithium mines consume 65% of water in what is already considered one of the world’s driest regions.
Meanwhile, in Argentina’s Salar de Hombre Muerto, lithium mining operations have marred streams with mountains of discarded salt, which contaminates the waters and causes an unnatural blue hue. This has forced locals to relocate as the contaminated waters emit toxins harmful to local agriculture, livestock, soil and irrigation systems.
The Unheard Labour
Most of the global supply of cobalt is sourced from “artisanal” mines in Kolwezi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Artisanal mines are usually hand-dug mines created by local miners with little to no equipment and knowledge in mineral extraction. The extracted cobalt is then sold to local traders for a relatively low price or often for some food. These local traders will then sell it to automobile manufacturers. Furthermore, Amnesty International claims that the hand-made mines pose a high risk of collapse. Artisan miners often dig their mines in their backyards, which sometimes leads to cracks and holes around the residential area. This has made the area dangerous and uninhabitable, which resulted in the Congolese government having to relocate the residents of Kolwezi to a safer location.
Mark Canavera, a researcher at Columbia University estimates that thousands of children are working in the Kolwezi mines. Most of these children are forced to work in the mines to have enough money to purchase their daily meal while some others are blatantly drugged to suppress hunger. Kongolo Mashimango Reagent used to be one of the child labourers who would regularly carry 25kg of cobalt from mines in Kolwezi. He is now among the plethora of children who receive help and education from the Good Shepherd Charity in an effort to help reverse the physical and emotional trauma he experienced in the mines.
A Toxic Ending
Electric vehicle batteries are notoriously difficult to recycle. Recycling these batteries would require dismantling the lithium-ion cell, which if not done properly could harm factory workers and potentially explode. Dr. Paul Anderson of the University of Birmingham has suggested that in 2021, only 5% of batteries are recycled globally, while in Australia, only 2% of lithium waste is recycled.
The Green Promises of Electric Vehicles
This is a major concern, as there are serious repercussions caused by dumping batteries as landfill. The lithium in the battery is volatile and will degrade over time. This process could potentially leak toxins into the surrounding soil and water bodies.
The Hunt for Innovation
Policy makers and companies are increasingly aware of the imperfections of the electric vehicle batteries and are actively looking for improvement.
Recycling
Recycling lithium and cobalt in batteries would eliminate toxic landfill whilst also reducing the demand for the depleting supply of rare minerals. This has spurred some companies to conduct research with the aim of finding such a solution.
Volkswagen has recently opened a recycling plant in Salzgitter, Germany, which aims to recycle 3,600 batteries. Meanwhile, Renault is currently recycling a couple hundred batteries per year. A company called Redwood Materials, has bought dead Tesla batteries and claims to have re-extracted 80% of Lithium using a ground-breaking recycling method. This uses a combination of pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy to successfully extract up to 80% of lithium found in dead Tesla batteries.
The Search for a New Cathode
Alternatively, there has been research conducted into replacing the lithium and cobalt used in electric vehicle batteries with other materials, though most of these studies are in very early phases.
A joint study released in advances in mechanical engineering suggested replacing lithium with magnesium, as magnesium is more abundant and easier to mine. It is also less volatile, easier to recycle and releases less toxins. On the other hand, researchers from the University of Waterloo suggested the use of LiNiO2 as a substitute for cobalt due to its high density and thermal stability.
Conclusion
While electric vehicles are a step towards sustainability, there is still a lot more that could be done to maximize their sustainable performance. As research and innovation is gaining momentum, it is important to consider its wider impact, which mostly flies under the radar. As previously mentioned, this includes the environmental impact of mining, the societal impact to indigenous communities, as well as the waste management of toxic chemicals.
If you would like to learn more about climate change and COP26, Pivot cordially invites you to attend MIRSA & MIAS Present: Insights into COP26 and Beyond on Wednesday 27th of October.
