mining of minerals

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Biden rule tells power plants to cut climate pollution by 90 percent or shut down.

 

Politico. (May 11th, 2023). Biden rule tells power plants to cut climate pollution by 90 percent or shut down. Retrieved August 20th, 2023, from https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/11/biden-rule-tells-power-plants-cut-climate-pollution-00095827 

 

 Biden’s Campaign to green the economy is facing counterattacks from Republicans and coal-state senators. Biden is promoting electric cars, green energy sources, and tightening regulations on products. It is critical for Biden to get as many power companies on board with the rule. These companies would help shore up the rule politically. If Biden is re-elected then he and these rules will still have to face the judicial gauntlet, who already do not really like these issues and rules.

 

I don’t know that much about politics, and I’m not in the scoop. But it’s crazy to see fights over trying to make the world better again and trying to save it. I believe that the promotion of green energy forms is very good and smart. I see so many electric cars on the road nowadays. I would hope that the power companies would want to help the earth and get their name out there as companies. So they could get jobs and businesses running.

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An EPA proposal to (almost) eliminate climate pollution from power plants.

NPR. (May 11th, 2023). An EPA proposal to (almost) eliminate climate pollution from power plants. Retrieved August 20th, 2023, from https://www.npr.org/2023/05/11/1169967646/an-epa-proposal-to-almost-eliminate-climate-pollution-from-power-plants 

 

For big coal and gas-powered plants, they would need to capture 90% of emissions or burn clean hydrogen. Plants scheduled to shut down soon will face less stringent limits. The EPA’s(Environmental Protection Agency) rules will withstand legal scrutiny, compared to Obama’s rules which did not. The EPA is going to set emission limits for individual plants, which will be stricter than Obamas. The industry is not happy with these rules made by the EPA. Behind transportation, power plants are the second biggest source of climate-warming emissions. Critics argue that the regulations will force plants to shut down and leave their grids vulnerable to blackouts.

 

It seems like there is so much to do and so many places spread out over the world to do these investments. With these new, stricter, rules in act maybe we will be able to get great progress towards a clean and happy environment. The article didn’t explain these emission limits for individual plants, so I wonder what they could be. The proposal made by the EPA does seem very good and very trusting. I can’t wait to see how it plays out.

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Clean energy investment is starting to flow, but imbalances point to continued risks ahead.

IEA.(2023). Clean energy investment is starting to flow, but imbalances point to continued risks ahead. Retrieved August 20th, 2023, from https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-investment-2023/overview-and-key-findings 

 

Global energy investment is picking up, outpacing fossil fuel investments three to one. If this clean electrification continues to grow at the same rate since 2021 then electrification will exceed the required levels of the world’s climate pledges. However, investments in expanding grids are lagging behind. Producers need to watch the ways clean electrification demands for fuels in power generation, and also for heat and mobility. Scaling up investment instruments and mobilizing greater support from development finance will be critical to the continuation of clean energy transitions.

 

I loved reading this good news on our world’s journey to clean energy and no more climate change. It made me wonder how are ways that everyday citizens can help. And it made me think about how big this problem really is. I really only hear people talking about climate change being very bad and that there is no hope. After reading this article I now have hope that we will be able to fix this big problem.

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Will green energy kill coal mining? Why these industry leaders say it won’t.

Deseret News. (2023, Aug 17). Will green energy kill coal mining? Why these industry leaders say it won’t. Retrieved August 20th, 2023, from https://www.deseret.com/utah/2023/8/17/23827237/will-green-energy-kill-coal-mining-workers-biden-administration 

 

As demand for coal for energy decreases, coal is falling out of the energy market. With coal plants having to close soon, workers are faced with dilemmas of what to do after. The Biden Administration views and speaks of coal, and fossil fuels in general, as a “climate change-causing hag in dire need of retirement”. The American Coal Council says that coal should be saved. They also say that the U.S. is on a trajectory to energy poverty. South Africa can face up to 10 hours a day with no power, partly due to the aging of their coal-fired power plants. 

 

I definitely agree with the Biden Administration here, and I believe that it is a fact that fossil fuels lead to climate change. When I read what the American Coal Council had responded, it made me look at the other side of the clean energy Act. But not the side about people needing money and jobs, the side about how it could hurt our economic growth. But I still believe that clean energy is a lot better than the fossil fuels being used today, leading to climate change.

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The Energy Transition Is Underway. Fossil Fuel Workers Could Be Left Behind.

The New York Times. (2023, July 12). The Energy Transition Is Underway. Fossil Fuel Workers Could Be Left Behind. Retrieved August 5th, 2023, from https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/12/us/politics/coal-gas-workers-transition.html 

 

The U.S. is shifting away from fossil fuels and leaning towards new battery factories, wind and turbine projects, and other clean energy investments. With this undergo fossil fuel workers are losing their jobs. Along with taking away jobs, these new clean energy jobs could be devastating to counties that have relied on fossil fuels for their economic stability. The Biden administration is trying to reduce the impact by providing tax advantages for renewable energy projects in areas impacted by the energy transition. To help the people losing jobs and money, federal officers have vowed to create jobs in these hard-hit communities.

 

This transition from fossil fuels to clean energy is very related to environmental sciences, as it addresses environmental challenges like climate change and sustainable development. I believe that these changes are very good and people, like we have our whole life, should adapt to these changes and find new jobs. I do understand the decrease in pay from new jobs, and even not finding a job. I also support the efforts to help these hard-hit communities by being able to live the same way they were before these clean energy investments.

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Why proper disposal of Electronic-Waste is important to our health and the environment.

Ruiz , A. (2022, July 18). 17 shocking e-waste statistics in 2022. The Roundup. Retrieved August 27, 2022, from https://theroundup.org/global-e-waste-statistics/#:~:text=There%20is%20over%20347%20Mt,highest%20e%2Dwaste%20recycling%20rates.

 

     Electronic waste (E-Waste) for the most part is disposed improperly. Many people discard that E-Waste needs to be disposed of separately. Since it’s uncommon for E-Waste to be disposed of properly, many natural resources go to waste because some can still be recycled. Nowadays, technology is constantly evolving and the demand for electronics increases more by the years. The more production, the more waste there will be especially if not correctly disposed of. Which affects the environment, human health and animals. 

 

     Arabella Ruiz shares information in her article based on the importance of disposing of E-Waste properly. A small percentage of the E-Waste hardly gets disposed of correctly. Therefore, this affects the environment, human health, and animals. The E-Waste that ends up in landfills releases toxins such as mercury and BFR plastics. These toxic materials have a negative effect if humans or animals come in contact with these toxins. For that reason, many of the E-Waste that ends up in landfills also release chemicals into the air, soil, or water. However, there are many natural resources going to waste that could’ve been recycled such as silver, gold, copper, and iron. After reading this article, my initial thoughts were that I never really thought about where the E-Waste goes. As well the importance of separately disposing the E-Waste due to it being hazardous or valuable. Ruiz mentioned that every individual can fix this issue by disposing of it correctly, however many people fail to do that either because they lack awareness or simply laziness. Especially now, since we constantly use electronics in our everyday lives. We should know how to properly dispose of it in order to take care of our environment. 

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In Search of ‘Lithium Valley’: Why Energy Companies See Riches in the California Desert.

“In Search of ‘Lithium Valley’: Why Energy Companies See Riches in the California Desert.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 27 Sept. 2021, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/sep/27/salton-sea-california-lithium-mining.   

Within the article, it shows the positive “ time of transition”. We’ll never see it again in our lifetime, this green transition – it’s very cool to be part of it” (Colwell). Inside the depths of California’s “Lithium Valley,” there are many materials that will benefit the United States’ transition to clean energy and the increase in EVs that run off lithium batteries. It states that we mostly get our materials from foreign countries, so therefore we should take this risk. There are two options: restoring the body of water in which the valley formed, however, due to fertilizer runoff and evaporation, it is hard to maintain; or building a lithium and geothermal plant. There are plans to build a $520 billion plant that creates geothermal energy, selling most of the energy created while also using some to mine for lithium. 

 

This creation of a geothermal plant and a lithium mine is a great mix of two aspects that will mitigate carbon emissions and help climate change. A geothermal plant is meant to produce fewer emissions than a fossil fuel plant; by extracting heat from the ground, a non-renewable resource they can create enough energy to power their lithium mines and then some. This extra energy will be sold as an alternative to fossil fuel energy. Also the mining of lithium supports the use of EVs that will also decrease fossil fuel use. Lithium is the main part of an electric car’s battery and by finding this source, the US can stock up for the expected 40x increase of production within the next 20 years. I believe that this is the future of power plants; using many different kinds of non-renewable resources to work together to create less emissions could be the best way to deal with the global problem of climate change. EVs alone might possibly not be able to prevent carbon emissions, but the benefits of this combination is a start. 

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Biden Administration Cancels Mining Leases near Wilderness Area.

Tabuchi, Hiroko. “Biden Administration Cancels Mining Leases near Wilderness Area.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 26 Jan. 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/26/climate/boundary-waters-copper-mining.html?searchResultPosition=1.  

In the article, President Joe Biden is canceling two mining leases for copper within Minnesota and on the border of Canada. It is said that it is something that our past President Obama has already canceled; however President Trump reinstalled these leases during his term to provide an economic increase in that area. Biden states that this land is pristine wilderness, by allowing these mines to continue, it would mean the destruction of a habit for many animals. Environmentalists agree, showing that they would rather keep this land bare rather than destroy it for economic purposes. The loss of an ecosystem is detrimental across all categories. Overall by destroying these habitats, there will be an unbalance of animals and fewer trees that use photosynthesis to store carbon. 

 

I agree that the government should be more aware of the creation or continuation of adding more mines, even when something other than fossil fuel is being minded; the creation of these mining factories and the transportation/machines being used are all emitting greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. Along with carbon being released, it also destroys carbon sinks. One of our main ways to take carbon out of the atmosphere is by taking advantage of natural processes like photosynthesis. We have started to utilize this process, and by planting more plants and maintaining current ecosystems, we can collect this carbon; building these mines suggests the complete opposite. Additionally, these mines will scare away animals, as mentioned in the article, this area houses the gray wolf and Canada lynx, which are essential to keep the ecosystem balanced. Nonetheless, it is argued by supporters of the mines that there are 400 billion tons of copper and nickel ore under the surface of these areas, however, I believe that this is not worth the negative consequence of the mining.  

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Plans to Dig the Biggest Lithium Mine in the US Face Mounting Opposition.

Bosler, Cayte. “Plans to Dig the Biggest Lithium Mine in the US Face Mounting Opposition.” Inside Climate News, 12 Nov. 2021, https://insideclimatenews.org/news/07112021/lithium-mining-thacker-pass-nevada-electric-vehicles-climate/.  

With Biden’s $174 Billion to enhance electric-powered cars and charging stations, many environmentalists explain that going clean has many negative consequences to our environment. Lithium is the primary ore that is used to produce electric car batteries; similarly to fossil fuels, this too has to be mined from the ground and refined into the material we can use to make these vehicles. As stated in the article, the operations of the mine mentioned in the article will emit 152,713 tons of carbon dioxide per year, with additional use of 500,00 gallons of water per ton of lithium, showing the effects on the climate when transitioning to clean energy. 

 

With all this talk about clean energy and climate change, it is easy to overlook the possible drawbacks that clean energy can create. Electric Cars are a popular way of reducing carbon emissions, however, the creation of these cars has equal or more effects on our atmosphere as they are still made out of non-renewable resources and use machines running on fossil fuels. For example, the batteries that are the key component to EVs are made from lithium, both mined and refined similarly to these harmful fossil fuels that affect our environment. Additionally, currently, there are slight options for purchasing these electric cars. Many people around the Bay Area drive Teslas, one of the first Evs, however, these cars are expensive and unavailable to the lower to middle-class economic spectrum. This creates a problem where the benefits of driving electric cars outweigh the emissions that their creation processes release. For these lithium mines to have a positive impact on the environment, there must be a higher demand and a more available type of electric car, therefore allowing more people to convert from oil-burning vehicles to electric. 

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Phosphate Pollution on Coral Reefs

Staff, S. X. (2019, August 06). New study reveals impact of mining on coral reefs. Retrieved August 6, 2019, from https://phys.org/news/2019-08-reveals-impact-coral-reefs.html

 

Another University (The Australian National University) has been researching the effects of phosphate mining on coral reefs around Christmas Island. What they discovered was that sediment and phosphate runoff from mines on the island have damaged small sections of reefs concentrated around the mines. The sediment leaving the mines and the phosphate have both damaged the reef ecosystems and reduced biodiversity around the mines. Luckily, the pollution only affects the reefs near the mines, and reefs farther out from the island are pretty healthy.

 

This article relates to environmental science because it analyzes how human activities such as mining have affected coral reefs. This article annoyed me because I feel that laws about mining runoff and pollution should be more strict to minimize human impact on the environment. It seems like it would be so easy to just spend a bit more money on fully processing runoff instead of just letting it flow into the ocean.