The Parc del Fòrum, a public open space with a massive solar panel in Barcelona, Spain. Enrique Díaz / 7cero / Getty Images
By Francesco Starace and Jean-Pascal Tricoire
Why is it so important to decarbonize cities? And how can we do it?
<p>The first question is easy to answer: The cities in which more than half of us live account for nearly two-thirds of the CO2 emissions that lie at the root of our planet's looming <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-crisis">climate crisis</a>. Skyscrapers in megalopolises, shopping malls, SUVs in the streets, air conditioners in a growing number of places throughout the globe – all consume a vast amount of high CO2-content energy.</p><p>The answer to the second question is to take an integrated approach: leveraging clean electrification and digital technology to harmonize urban energy systems, while also thinking beyond individual projects to consider their impact within the surrounding communities and the built environment.</p>
<p>In fact, urban energy, transport and building infrastructures are gradually becoming greener: There are <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2020" target="_blank">more electric vehicles on city streets</a>, better water treatment and recycling schemes, and more <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/solar">solar</a> panels on rooftops around the globe. According to <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/renewables-2020?utm_content=buffer061dd&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin-Birol&utm_campaign=buffer" target="_blank">International Energy Agency estimates</a>, renewables like solar and wind are set to become the largest source of electricity generation worldwide by 2025, supplying one-third of the world's electricity and ending coal's decades-long dominance of the global power mix.</p><p>All this is, of course, welcome.</p><p>But with climate change accelerating, we need more comprehensive decarbonization actions on three fronts. First, we need even more energy to come from <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/">renewable</a> sources. Second, we need more cars, heating and other activity to be powered by clean electricity. Third, we need everything from factories, to office buildings, homes, transport systems and consumer devices to become more energy-efficient.</p>
<p>This third lever might not as headline-grabbing as the rise of solar panels or electric vehicles. But it is a big piece of the decarbonization puzzle, with an even larger potential enabled by digital technologies.</p><p>Consider, for example, the technologies that make buildings more energy-efficient, by automatically adapting the amount of cooling, heating or lighting to occupancy levels at any given moment. Or digital tools that allow the operators of a manufacturing site in Sweden or a public utility in India to run their operations or distribution systems more efficiently and even remotely, rather than in person (a feature that has proved critical in these times of social distancing and lockdowns).</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQzNDUzNy9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNzEwMDEwN30.PFj06PUl54BGCMlbb0etzgnp-P2-zB1a3v5RNcG2BYw/img.png?width=980" id="57d4e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8cdbcd37ddf921991f9393f268d33296" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1526" data-height="986" />
<p>Imagine how much more we could achieve if we digitally integrate ultra-efficient buildings, public services – e.g. transport or lighting – and electric vehicle charging stations into a wider, highly efficient urban system, delivering better quality services for citizens and accompanying benefits such as local job creation, health, and well-being. Integration and interaction between assets are the key to disrupt the traditional equation of energy and efficiency in cities. An EV battery can store power not only for just one car, but, while a car is not in use, also for the surrounding community thanks to smart-charging infrastructures. Excess power generated by an office building's or warehouse's rooftop solar panels might be used to help power the wider neighborhood.</p>
<p>The technologies, digital tools and data analytics capabilities to enable this efficient urban system already exist, as do concrete examples of such an integrated approach. Therefore, integration and collaboration of systems and stakeholders are the fundamental drivers to accelerate and scale the transition in cities.</p><p>Integration of energy, buildings and mobility requires cross-cutting industry collaboration, ranging from utilities and real estate, to technology companies and financial institutions. City- and state-level administration can enable and facilitate such collaboration through public-private cooperation. The public sector can drive on governance, policy and licensing, while the private sector provides agility, technology and resources. This cooperation can share and balance risks and liability between stakeholders for mutual gains and value creation for the broader community.</p>
<p>All of this comes against a backdrop of great urgency. Epidemics, climate and economic pain have all created unique challenges in 2020. But combating climate change must remain top of mind. Cities lie at the heart of this fight and have now the chance to build back better. We have joined the World Economic Forum in the effort to promote dialogue and mobilize action together with a group of global leaders. As co-chairs of the <a href="https://www.weforum.org/projects/systemic-efficiency" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Net Zero Carbon Cities initiative</a>, our ambition is to accelerate a sustainable transition in cities, supporting mayors in creating value for their communities. It is up to all of us to ensure we become part of the solution rather than part of the problem.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/01/cities-climate-decarbonize-integrated/" target="_blank">World Economic Forum</a>.</em><br/></p>From Your Site Articles
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Cambridge, MA Becomes First U.S. City to Mandate Climate Warnings on Gas Pumps
29 December 2020
Energy
An aerial view of Harvard Hall in Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Massachusetts on April 16, 2020. Blake Nissen for The Boston Globe via Getty Images
The city of Cambridge, Massachusetts will mandate climate change warning labels on fuel pumps, The Guardian reported.
<p>The yellow stickers warn drivers that burning gasoline, diesel and ethanol has "major consequences on human health and the environment including contributing to climate change," making Cambridge the first U.S. city to do so, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/25/massachusetts-city-to-post-climate-change-warning-stickers-at-gas-stations" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>.</p><p>While similar mandates can be found in <a href="http://www.gronabilister.se/arkiv/artiklar-och-reportage/artiklar-2018/the-climate-impact-and-the-origin-of-all-fuels-in-sweden-will-be-declared-at-the-pump" target="_blank">Sweden</a>, a similar idea surfaced in Berkeley, California in 2014, but was never enacted, according to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cambridge-gas-pumps-post-warning-climate-change-2020-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Business Insider</a>.</p><p>"The gas pump stickers will remind drivers to think about climate change and hopefully consider non-polluting options," a spokesman from the city of Cambridge told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/25/massachusetts-city-to-post-climate-change-warning-stickers-at-gas-stations" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Guardian</a>.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTExNzM3Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNjcyOTE5NX0.9ZB7MnjzQkhihMb6CT5hjqdf8gH6Uwf07OCETV_u6P0/img.jpg?width=980" id="7e403" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="31d668b4db1928db7ca04634589914d3" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="893" data-height="679" />
City of Cambridge
<p>In 2018, Cambridge updated its <a href="https://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/climateandenergy/climatechangeplanning/climateactionplan" target="_blank">Climate Action Plan</a>, aiming to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. The label mandate is a step towards achieving this goal and an attempt to reduce the city's transportation greenhouse gas emissions which account for almost half of the city's total, according to the <a href="http://cambridgema.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_LegiFile.aspx?Frame=&MeetingID=2566&MediaPosition=&ID=10472&CssClass=" target="_blank">city's order</a>.</p><p>"Requiring these labels at the gas pump will provide consumers with information about the impact of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels">fossil fuel</a> consumption directly at the point of purchase," <a href="http://cambridgema.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_LegiFile.aspx?Frame=&MeetingID=2566&MediaPosition=&ID=10472&CssClass=" target="_blank">the order adds</a>.</p><p>"Labels are designed to create a feeling like someone has broken a rule or violated a law," Jamie Brooks, founder of the organization <a href="https://ourhorizon.org/think-beyond-the-pump/#" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Think Beyond the Pump</a>, told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/25/massachusetts-city-to-post-climate-change-warning-stickers-at-gas-stations" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Guardian</a>. "This feeling, along with increased social pressure, like smoking labels, can translate to a collapse in trust for the current system, thereby increasing the public appetite for alternatives."</p>
<p>Labels, warning drivers of their contribution to climate change, may encourage more people to reduce the effects of their fuel consumption, but the financial incentives of switching to alternative transportation methods, like <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/electric-vehicles">electric vehicles</a>, remain unclear.</p><p>Considering the varying costs of gasoline and electricity across states, the <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/stories/electric-vs-gas-it-cheaper-drive-ev" target="_blank">NRDC reported</a> that in Washington state "the electricity required to run a battery-powered electric car can be as much as $14,480 cheaper than fueling up an internal combustion vehicle," according to <a href="https://www.cell.com/joule/pdfExtended/S2542-4351(20)30231-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a study</a> published by the journal Joule. Yet, in Hawaii "charging up your electric car could ultimately cost $2,494 more than topping up a gas tank over 15 years."</p><p>While placing climate warnings on gas pumps may not alone transition the transportation sector off fossil fuels, they may link consumer choices directly with climate consequences – and inspire more to have conversations on climate change.</p>
<p>With historic wildfires in the American West and record-breaking hurricanes in the East, many Americans are witnessing the effects of fossil fuel combustion in their daily lives.</p><p>"Conversations about climate change have broken into everyday life, to the top of the headlines and to center stage in the presidential campaign," <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/22/climate/climate-change-future.html" target="_blank">The New York Times reported</a>. Evidently, more are asking, "Can this be reversed? What can be done to minimize the looming dangers for the decades ahead?"</p><p>A recent article by <a href="https://grist.org/climate/psychic-numbing-why-rising-covid-and-climate-change-death-tolls-no-longer-shock-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Grist</a> analyzed society's "psychic numbing" towards these realities. "Climate change is going to be with us for the rest of our lives," Susanne Moser, a Massachusetts-based researcher told Grist. "How are we going to stay alert and respond effectively to something that is stuck with us for so long?" she asked.</p>
<p>Local initiatives, like mandating labels on gas pumps, could produce tangible ways for consumers to stay aware and take action.</p><p>"Warming labels are intentionally disruptive," <a href="https://grist.org/fix/guilt-at-the-gas-pump-warming-labels/" target="_blank">Brooks wrote in Grist with Drew Shindell</a>, a Nicholas Professor of Earth Science at Duke University. "A new gas-is-bad norm will help generate the necessary support lawmakers need to make public infrastructure investments like EV charging stations, bus rapid transit, and bike lanes, which will save money in the long run by circumventing future climate change and air pollution-related health problems."</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTExNzM4OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MTU3Njg5Nn0.VicpLJq3WPQv2OvUbK0rgM1zSheKybLL-gnw1QwxhR4/img.jpg?width=980" id="ff499" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6b466eebad9faeba5c9f631cb3460524" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1200" data-height="675" />
City of Cambridge / Facebook
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For many people, the holidays are rich with time-honored traditions like decorating the Christmas tree, lighting the menorah, caroling, cookie baking, and sipping from the unity cup. But there's another unofficial, official holiday tradition that spans all ages and beliefs and gives people across the world hope for a better tomorrow: the New Year's resolution.
<p>It's believed that ancient Babylonians were the <a href="https://www.cnet.com/health/the-history-of-new-years-resolutions-and-celebrations/#:~:text=4%2C000%20years%20ago%20in%20Babylon%20(around%202000%20B.C.)&text=Most%20historians%20believe%20Babylonians%20were,accordance%20with%20an%20agricultural%20year." target="_blank">first people to make New Year's resolutions</a> some 4,000 years ago. Over time, the popular practice shifted in scope from making promises to the gods about repaying debt to making promises to ourselves about self-improvement. Anyone who has ever made a New Year's resolution probably included something like get more sleep or be less stressed. And though it might not immediately come to mind when you brainstorm strategies for reaching your New Year's goals, it turns out that chamomile tea could be the answer for many of them. </p><p>If you've ever asked yourself why everyone is drinking chamomile tea, we've got the answer here. Read on to learn some of the reasons why this herbal beverage is all the rage.</p>
<p><em>Josh Hall has been a professional writer and storyteller for more than 15 years. His work on natural health and cannabis has appeared in Health, Shape, and Remedy Review.</em></p>
Benefits of Chamomile Tea
<p><strong>Sleep More Soundly</strong></p><p>Pick your grandmother's brain about the best way to fall asleep, and she might tell you to down a nice glass of warm milk. But if you consult with science, research shows that chamomile might be a better option. That's because it contains an antioxidant called apigenin, which can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">promote sleepiness and reduce insomnia and other sleep problems</a>.</p><p>Two research studies even confirmed the power of chamomile throughout the day and before bed. In one of those studies, postpartum women who drank chamomile for two weeks <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26483209" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">experienced better sleep quality than the control group who didn't</a>. Another research effort measured how fast people could fall asleep. Those results illustrated that participants who consumed 270 milligrams of chamomile extract twice daily for 28 days <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3198755/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fell asleep 15 minutes faster than the control</a>. The chamomile group also had considerably fewer sleep disruptions. </p><p><strong>May Be Able to Keep Your Gut Healthy</strong></p><p>Though the following studies used rats as the subjects, research shows that chamomile can potentially play a beneficial role in digestive health. According to that research, the anti-inflammatory properties in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24463157" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">chamomile extract may be able to protect against diarrhea</a>. Additionally, chamomile may be an effective way to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4177631/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stop the growth of bacteria in our stomachs that contribute to ulcers</a>.</p><p><strong>Reduces Stress and Anxiety</strong></p><p>Few things are more relaxing than curling up with a good cup of tea, so it's logical that chamomile tea can serve a stress reducer. While it lacks the potency of a pharmaceutical drug, long-term use of chamomile has been shown to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27912875" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">"significantly" reduce general anxiety disorders</a>. In general, chamomile can act almost like a sedative, and many people enjoy the tea because it puts them in a calm and relaxed state almost immediately. </p><p><strong>Boosts Immune Health</strong></p><p>Vitamin C and zinc are common over-the-counter supplements that people often turn to when they're hoping to avoid becoming sick. While scientists admit that more research must take place to prove chamomile's impact on preventing ailments like the common cold, the existing studies do show promise in this area. </p><p>One study had 14 participants drink five cups of the tea every day for two consecutive weeks. Throughout the study, researchers collected daily urine samples and tested the contents before and after the consumption of the tea. Drinking chamomile resulted in a significant increase in the levels of hippurate and glycine, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">both of which are known to increase antibacterial activity</a>. Inhaling steam from a pot of freshly brewed chamomile tea may also ease the symptoms of nasal congestion.</p><p><strong>Minimizes Menstrual Cramps</strong></p><p>This one may come as a surprise, particularly to readers who have tried every possible over-the-counter treatment to reduce period pain. Several research studies have proven that chamomile tea may be able to minimize the pain and cramps that occur during menstruation. Women in that same study also dealt with lower levels of anxiety that they typically felt because of menstrual cramps.</p><p><strong>Help Diabetes and Lower Blood Sugar</strong></p><p>For people with diabetes, regulating blood sugar levels can be a matter of life or death. And while chamomile will never replace prescription-strength drugs, it's believed that it can prevent an increase in blood sugar. A 2008 study on rats showed that chamomile could have a <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf8014365" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">moderate impact on the long-term risk of diabetes</a>.</p><p><strong>Might Improve Your Skin</strong></p><p>Ever wondered why there's been an influx of chamomile-infused cosmetic products? The reason why so many manufacturers now include chamomile in their lotions, soaps, and creams is because it <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5074766/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">acts as an anti-inflammatory on our skin</a>. That means it may be able to soothe the puffiness that plagues us as we age. Those same anti-inflammatory properties can be vital in restoring skin health after we've received a sunburn. </p><p>Before discarding your used chamomile tea bags, try chilling them and placing them over your eyes. Not only will this help with the puffiness, but it can drastically light the skin color around the eye.</p><p><strong>Help With Heart Health</strong></p><p>Some of the most beneficial antioxidants we put into our bodies are what are known as flavones, and chamomile tea is chock full of them. Flavones have the potential to lower both blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which, when elevated, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4814348/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">can lead to heart disease</a>.</p>Why Everyone Is Drinking Chamomile Tea
<p>Now that you know so much about the wonders of chamomile, it shouldn't come as a surprise why the tea is so popular with people of all ages. In addition to tasting great, chamomile offers up benefits that boost the health of body parts both inside and out. As you ponder your own New Year's resolutions, think about how healthy and natural vitamins, supplements, plants, and oils can help guide you on your own personal path to improvement. Happy New Year!</p>An Organic, Eco-Conscious Brand to Try
<div class="rm-shortcode amazon-assets-widget" data-rm-shortcode-id="0da9d8545ec44ebf1a31d6044181ed9e" contenteditable="false"> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N2F8718?tag=ecowatch-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1" target="_blank"> <img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41B2ANHhsdL.jpg" class="amazon-assets-widget__image widget__image"> </a> </div> <p>FGO tea bags are made of hemp fiber paper, free of dyes, adhesive, glue, and chlorine bleach. The tea is also certified USDA Organic by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF).</p>From Your Site Articles
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An electric trolley is seen in San Francisco, California, and is an example of renewable infrastructure. Robert Alexander / Getty Images
A new report from Princeton University released yesterday details five pathways for achieving net zero emissions in the U.S. by 2050, with "priority actions" the U.S. should take before 2030.
<p>A highlight across all pathways is total or near total electrification of energy use across the U.S. economy. </p><p>Additional recommendations include building a significant amount of new energy infrastructure, increasing wind and solar generating capacity, expanding the nation's electric grid, and transitioning homes off natural gas. </p><p>The research puts the price tag of this near-term action at $2.5 trillion, but calculates it will create at least half a million jobs and save tens of thousands of lives. </p><p>The report also identifies several pitfalls the transition could face, including local opposition to land-use for renewable infrastructure and a lack of public support for electric cars and homes. </p><p>"The costs are affordable, the tool kit is there, but the scale of transformation across the country is significant," said Jesse Jenkins, a Princeton professor and lead author of the report.</p>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/15/climate/america-next-decade-climate.html?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=103219174&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9vzIPSABi2ZWdEdGo15AmEWXz6DgWIZvZrrWcVO5KJ6FkSwwiE1ePlD4NBsFt4cwpnGjV_9a7OLYBYQuIpD8VY_7rSZGM7uuZeQkNP5gq-xCPaE9I&utm_content=103219174&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">New York Times</a>, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/12/15/biden-wants-halt-all-us-climate-emissions-by-2050-heres-what-that-would-actually-take/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=103219174&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9oBoztvBfUWODxXpsJeUADXpLLxOPl4QNnvcsMVzCYSn_sKIpAK1I1_0_qwO8RphqlgQh0ymzxJe6qEdFXAmz-6iSZzCubwz_mVCIsyDGkEwlVJVQ&utm_content=103219174&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Washington Post</a>, <a href="https://www.axios.com/net-zero-emissions-2050-study-19a44074-4b88-4ce8-804a-74898eb3f0a0.html?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=103219174&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--Vfl0jNmqcTq7LO2qV_Az1E8C3GLFVwaELgUEPpml1MDSz_6b25Yvpay75sbNZTFfIF67haJA2s3nEOjXLCnEsrcnk2VC1kHsLehGSALTi0cTXeyo&utm_content=103219174&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Axios</a>, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-15/getting-the-u-s-to-zero-carbon-would-cost-2-5-trillion-by-2030?sref=oUjKJw8m&utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=103219174&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--K__qcAzI1hFRNmpt_85pInviMgailOLxvIQGtcqF9sFMZghM8rO1AFjqXewktb0Wk06QKzRwdfEX4u3qog7RD5bcu5emn0Ajw4MfyJlPtX0S0sko&utm_content=103219174&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Bloomberg </a><br/></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, sign up for daily </em><a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/hot-news-sign-up" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>, and visit their news site, </em><a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nexus Media News</em></a><em>. </em></p>From Your Site Articles
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A coalition launched the Zero Emission Transportation Association on Tuesday with plans to push for 100% EV sales across all sectors by 2030.
<p>The coalition of corporate entities that stand to benefit from broader electric vehicle adoption includes Uber, Tesla, utilities like Duke Energy and Southern Company, EV component suppliers, charging companies, and EV startups. </p>
<p>The group's launch came the same day as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged to ban the sale of new cars wholly powered by gas and diesel by 2030, a decade earlier than previously planned. On Monday, S&P Global announced Tesla will be added to the S&P 500 Index on December 21.</p><p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong></p><p><strong>EV group:</strong> <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXgp5nxG7V3Zsc37CgXBWW3PQhT62g346PT5bJ36m2PY_W55Hv7D2YFNpvV331l42w3k5HW4yqPP61l4ByvN7v59ZxT3FR7W6wqBdz20gvNVW3-1xm51BwWM4W8m28Rl2crqHyW3Wpv4f22_t2LW1RLc6n9g0wQ3N9dsKQDXXyr2W4S52vP7h90CmN12CJ7dc4745W5jGWwn53vD78N3lXtrF_q74xW4x_CBp85QmxJW7Z0X14441Z9XW5wWX1844NzzYN1yF261YxYMnW8C4rxj1JxwcrW6M2P7324HxnBW6NvtHh96LpRBVrjrhK30xMncW2JhNCt1w5QRKW4H1cdk800xTgW7KpgmS9cx00rW7nwDV14tb8qvW6bZbjf6r7jDRN1GxMGfZMfSCN8FRKVkWsZFCW7V2jmN93dr3Z3bkJ1" target="_blank">Axios</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXhV3p_9rV1-WJV7CgJngW45CX-p6Qr3LlW19NTjl7KZgr0W2glsv02-vk6YW66pd8k3P8q0tW4qlBJZ409kstW5QCxQn7fBMqhW7jWLRm7yXHhpW93Jp836jjk3SW847mX71xSsmBM-DGQztsGfZW3DkRr87F2ptDW1Ct71D46b-JQW3P2jWc2dBkcdW6jGL8g47NP0qW7_8Dmk3VNhN5W7yZlKv2Wp8l1W911bx53MsL5YVqprGM4pfjllW7yY4Gn45mNJhVPy8C73lS-8fW87Lfhp8QwF97N4y7sfTdytywW8J36gb7ms1QCW1v1txt59cW0QW47w0Vj6rKYb-W4HXHF53-Td6r31N51" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">E&E</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXgJ5nxGrV3Zsc37CgM-pW83sTHh83Hvq_W6M6qGR88_jfMW8d4TLq6Php2rW3flsjC3JQq_BW46yXW26kPV5_W2v1M_h6tLn7sW5RtR1N440Vz5W6J-ZPN3T7pPmW4BWbGh9d1lx3W7xLyT34QBjdmW2dvf1k3VNxgqW2cXhXK6ZDtd0N6ndGNpvwQfTN1zm8F_VQKd1W8zt_Z527yRpNW9b0Bsl2cYrsPW6hF_CG5jYnNdW5pr8fY5TrgDgW5-bWNN8shHgTW4WqwJW3W9hVbW5VPP4H2Ysph9W4x1-BT40T3VXW6zbcRd5-bCSFV3LFBG4TxJV0W1Y6GC63n-zX0W2NVMtc3ZNVM9N58MPlrN2NfsW1_thw_8ttt77W6pB9Db7Xg_tMW5-wZpd3T2bKSW1Qz9m_20JfJyW40w1S-3npqBMW6TWcQZ4CRymwW6lnZr-40zjlj3kb61" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Politico Pro</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXgJ5nxGrV3Zsc37CgQwhN5DgsdqCC2PKW5rDGPf9hmwb9W5J_rZ65gSTNnVN7W1X3L-blJW4HnPqY8Ps5tsVfHYHZ7G8Dk2W8nXF0W8KB_9_W5DfNJM5Zyj7CN5nXJPvGyBp-W63Wf8_7j51mNW42nNKF5bZJx_W78hQ078Syz17W5HZ-7s2V0dDZW7l19V01plfyQW6-dgBw9bH12lW33Jz_b4b8PsSW9lR-Xk2XZNh1W5s3bqT8ymwLMN55gJ6myl9MvW3j4l9M8GgwQ3Mc3nLM1p2VMW2SFd6R5Qcvy7N70TJJ87GVXQW2tNvrD1pJM5DW8NvGrc1cCrc0VS4syJ1K4qSqW5ntdhS2mPZmCW2cZFC25s3r0FW2G5BcR3Hlf8lW3Zd0kZ6W_912W2_5mmD5lfvXwW4-c6mZ11QYLvW31nDSW7jGN-TN3qbQJCDX8VY31Xh1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Houston Chronicle</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXhB3p_97V1-WJV7CgCMRW8nL-3Z7GYCBkW5KKps13ZtRZ6VYMz8C2Rsb13N3_5sJwjLZHvW7TvWPH4KGt-4W842tcQ3Htdt8W6gbzfS4t_hmdW21wx6y91lZnMN3bxydwdN9r6W508zF-99KwYdW17FTvb22SGWMW3FMHjv82h6QdW2GQtzh2tTsmZW6gL8NZ3XJTRHW1-NJ4_6VCXB0W5p7vhG9c3YglW29J4Jv7mXM_1W7N508H5gKq6wW4WZTnY4FMXSJW86lqd12xW8P1W3hLB638GRylNW7Cb6S35J3jYvW8CLHL_3xZQqKN4j875wc-9WW3m-j1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXgp5nxG7V3Zsc37CgThVVMps_L2BQ_NBW1CW7H-1l5RJcW4j0_qy1c1TsKW3HjF742QFf1QW1m_rmm4JCfC-N97Gpy4r-HndW6kzhZf8PyhKQW3TYw6p5lXQKWW1djQVq1qbdPTW7sftHv3r-jj-W8Hzqsx2TYr9VW7SK9H_4-bX9FW28LXWw642DNTW4T4rtK7nHnJHW4Vrmf93H8GbMW4xMKyf3YR1wSW50LrQd4sYFrPW72sCs-6tMwhxW1bR-513sR-kFW792Lpl3Tf5VpW1ltZhs7s3r4gW7qQ52y5W85xLF8x9XN2pfp7W5vZ8MS7JlRpHW8WbkPd6t57DLVqrzjV26JYvyN8Y-h2YvVS0FW15-4kb6TrWdXW5YccjT5nB4rMW5bNVHN8VKgC_W5_x45F81S0hKW5Lv2Xn3hgQ4g390f1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Atlantic</a></p><p><strong>UK: </strong><a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXgp5nxG7V3Zsc37Cgz_gW75kvCy5845MkW3bn8GW7hf6w5VqhNRd3bm5RsW1kXmMm4GqNnkW6zKB-g2WSPgJW63t90L4FQwDkW5MnnYc5gw3DhW8KhvHP18km2rW12dTWT60DGNWTKWBf7btb9zW7QHM_c3wb8xkVxhk8s5YqRwtW8N85LP3hFJNFW41qWZM740WtDW7cQXVY2j8K03W8tYnlc970mFMW8c3Sjb8TBM12W6w1_DH4R5J_YW7XvbQD2mbsvxW2GGVC24pzGtBN3KFmcVS7m9wW4qVtP97Vkys5W3RXmc81wL11xW7R_PKS5gjGBCW683c3z4f2ssSW7Xl6fG3KSThFW2pPsQC6c8LYcN3BYqfWmkv81N2RqgtZ-PnKkW6gHKnh4HbRRdW4kQpdB60JJ93W7cSNd54QBw1R3dnv1" target="_blank">AP</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXhV3p_9rV1-WJV7CgMk4W7-BB4W5fGTj-N1Q8rQ6r1whlW4pg9Z-79LTl1N8mb3Bf40dPlW6DpsKP2yrvbgW8QJQm_23f2YKV4DRzn1q4Dc2V7vhRC2HrBtxW2tYRPJ2ctKkDW6ClJm392cFNWW7D6kWb3rWPg2W8CSNRQ8RkxlWW2vChcC6RhTx-Vw6JWF8prLwhW7l-brW1XydqHW1TkMq02vFrYYV935Kr5Lm3YyW8D2JhX5BmkK7VYxFsD1TLsnHW6cs0K084G4M1N6S162FfH9-qV1qTLB8J0tyRW237wqY5X5lR_W4c9_RR6KDfyWW64fwq27p9Lx8W1v5jRx1cfKfC3qsb1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">BBC</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXhh5nxH1V3Zsc37CgNNBW4RRbTC6V0HfZW2dS9lK8qb4s4W5QJldS7JPHPTW92pY6t2DHQFtW6Sx6m47XmbDXW3sJ2s83_hZFwN1ptJ_FFXJRpW4KdhF443TXVsW2zkdhZ2CgXm4W99fYnv3-hl3-W9jZBPs6h8qSCW1fbZNH756STnW8rG3VX7jWCCtW2r_v0N21QFd7W8LhzqB3WcXlLW4BFBpX4bSBX8W2cgnbX5ZQQygW5Wyb8c1ZKYm9W7k15fG1CHy5DW5ZC5dw7f_CSSW5Q339s3Ljhb3W2sXCQ548MQS-N3zfTfw8ggQkW2_FbDC2vkBCGW7NTr7D8Jt1tWN7JS0rk9TKJZW5LZ7jm7LjjHBW1b_6GL2zGgFxW6-JJx97mFG4lN7wrsDc_6HKtW6WbNt44XHy9LVLtFNP29h8YvW663DML96Dm1FW7DG0gq6b-3VrN6C6jgDJf_mwW4Kck011JdmShW3m3Hsc1ynr0bW52dzK72NFB_M3cx-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a>; </p><p><strong>Tesla:</strong> <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXhV3p_9rV1-WJV7CgMsjW5rlXFG5q_P9TW7q7H2d5WL55LW9l8YRl2fL2l7W2_b3Xx5PwxZzN6LMpDnDgSbFW53cZBY3bLhWhW8GGg3Q7xRnw_W7qyFzJ3r0dzvW8PvXYL5kQv8vW2MbS_34jr5KCW6rMnld7tB6m4W5mml_372m5T8W8JKpKY4Q09NLW3QWMMp41txyDW1KSkrj7xT5t3MH6f4l_tBcQW5pv-VL8KR1bcW61jFBX15vPW-W4cqR2j4GWn0sV6BkJV1tH5y6W7TTWQv2ZrYZ-W7Vm7sB4lMvdTW7QFtTG2TBgqsW99YDb64BVywBW4DqdlX8QrSgPW5lRzTf7ZJK3c37b01" target="_blank">CNN</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXj93p_9LV1-WJV7CgzMFW7SXpjX9hwbFFW6cfp4R1Jr9cSVYzmfg6bpgSjW5t__B-6mZpgbW6wRmnS8jX9c0W40jYph3FHB6SW4cjWpQ1B_v3vW4jZJX-8vvjBKW3PHKrV5qKGFFW3DzHhP8rbHM3N1j4crS71LSqW2GP3_W3F8R6_N9fWh80FL1HfW8d2JfV6k_9MtW45PLXv1-0DQ3W5VbG-g8DQ6R6W1BVc2P119ffdW965c4V4sCpslW5x3W8K6BgPrXW1CGJb61B1yp5W86Hs_p5vhTJzW4sVgf73c7qxQW8-5WZT79y8-yW4yGJ6g8tS0QMW4jqk_42sLRtHW6KXy_36-mC_LW9lp9Y86GLfLZF2PzMXzr7pt3b661" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wall Street Journal</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXhV3p_9rV1-WJV7CgHJ5W67RW3D7z0FHnN4bvQHgF2m_9W5CHYRd32K5QLW8kRTCT1nQ-6KVKpVlc7n8hsRW7SDLMq3G4DlpVBds0k5zBWlRW7pSGmd3Zr9g8W45Vl2x5SMCvPW151tqw6JW6KcW8BsGbb5cZKMFW3NKgtw7qG--9W75WRlz2SwNpCW6zYb9P7KnvJZW7h4cP052jPFmW233VTz20plxSW1Q_wzs5y6mxJW6HN_Bf8hrKP_W6K3W2M4TM9d4W4_qYbk4jrfP4W4R8YYq8KqLzFW54PhR04ygNbrW7pFgS15wKpfHW772clR7ByP3QW6RynMD2BWGWHW7rCHLt8xZ8MJ34lr1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FT</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXgp5nxG7V3Zsc37CgYh7W4Sx2T_5H2tmgW93CdTT5h_qQ5W8scbBt5-MvTYW70FRn669f_QhW2GTkgZ8tnW2sW59Fx0j4w5jX1W8bBVyj1T4qL3W12-gBN3bsJctW5lsglx4tpM2GW6V33qp7ThtCcW74-H_96395jGW4xx2156gmpwXW13Fv8z5wjS4ZVvglmd30Q-ydW7q3ftV1_6cZhW5Q00sg4mbfQHW1mc-L94mGqHkMby3myZSSrzW1C80pf8v00xqW6Zz4x941nDkQV1j1-h84LvygW6CD8dr5VBKv2W8twMWY3pRp3jW72qkqk1vRVVJW4MXrBb32k-BdN4M8HJtvXp8hW6-tYf79879KYW8NYkmx7y103hW3T3chk6HfyqNVQRh7Y3Wy6P4W4hnhBT87S6gkW6xVN4n19VwD236gx1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bloomberg</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXgp5nxG7V3Zsc37CgN59W6TD79t8h1HJvW6xsj-Y3k9XVqVpmdsL8ZwrS4N6wTrDnrCZz0W94BXyP97lSrgW12pCbb583ffyN1_57cG1SJR_VXCxpR8d98xnW67nrb385G2_tW72pZpn8plZ1qW33cXzz3kv7LKW57J2z57xHQTmW6HYL8v50PT_XW679rfJ63Q2M9W5vx_2X81ZGkzW1rhcGG1Vv1HyW5ckMNG3fw5qTW8xwvKX61vf_nVxQbg_9dkDXrW8_nJSZ6zjXHFW1dVJlQ684vclW90ntr26ghplCW6wgXm82QcydfW2WtPHs6_QdMmN20yksyCkJkNW7GCn2-4SCx66W8TWy737LcWmYW6m7fsD1S8nS4W2LBJ6x2SYf75N9jb8BTzTf93W5C94J77Vs36RW1z-3p11Jttj63cDv1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank" rel="noopener 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What will happen to all these batteries once they wear out? Ronny Hartmann / AFP / Getty Images
By Zheng Chen and Darren H. S. Tan
As concern mounts over the impacts of climate change, many experts are calling for greater use of electricity as a substitute for fossil fuels. Powered by advancements in battery technology, the number of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles on U.S. roads is increasing. And utilities are generating a growing share of their power from renewable fuels, supported by large-scale battery storage systems.
<p>These trends, coupled with a growing volume of battery-powered phones, watches, laptops, wearable devices and other consumer technologies, leave us wondering: What will happen to all these batteries once they wear out?</p><p>Despite overwhelming enthusiasm for cheaper, more powerful and energy-dense batteries, manufacturers have paid comparatively little attention to making these essential devices more sustainable. In the U.S. only about 5% of lithium-ion batteries – the technology of choice for electric vehicles and many high-tech products – <a href="https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2019/07/f64/112306-battery-recycling-brochure-June-2019%202-web150.pdf" target="_blank">are actually recycled</a>. As sales of electric vehicles and tech gadgets continue to grow, it is unclear who should handle hazardous battery waste or how to do it.</p><p>As engineers who work on <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=pPgKUOEAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">designing advanced materials</a>, including <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=dD8UWYEAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">batteries</a>, we believe it is important to think about these issues now. Creating pathways for battery manufacturers to build sustainable production-to-recycling manufacturing processes that meet both consumer and environmental standards can reduce the likelihood of a battery waste crisis in the coming decade.</p>
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="15499060d7b57be67100758264d9f877"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iFchfHH0qzg?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
Hazardous Contents
<p>Batteries pose more complex recycling and disposal challenges than metals, plastics and paper products because they contain many chemical components that are both toxic and difficult to separate.</p><p>Some types of widely used batteries – notably, lead-acid batteries in gasoline-powered cars – have relatively simple chemistries and designs that make them straightforward to recycle. The common nonrechargeable alkaline or water-based batteries that power devices like flashlights and smoke alarms can be disposed directly in landfills.</p><p>However, today's lithium-ion batteries are highly sophisticated and not designed for recyclability. They contain hazardous chemicals, such as toxic lithium salts and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/transition-metal" target="_blank">transition metals</a>, that can damage the environment and leach into water sources. Used lithium batteries also contain embedded electrochemical energy – a small amount of charge left over after they can no longer power devices – which can cause fires or explosions, or <a href="https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/e/5/e5530917-434d-451c-8a6b-c5cdfad1b5ec/EED12407A6BF7DE6C86A4B39C25CF6A4.greenberger-testimony-07.17.2019.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">harm people that handle them</a>.</p><div id="007de" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="34d57a5a359e141bcf74c9b1f66eae5f"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1026491976722468865" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The dangers of disposing of lithium batteries improperly - Battery blamed for Guernsey recycling site blaze https://t.co/Xcs76DI520</div> — Daniel Kinsbursky (@Daniel Kinsbursky)<a href="https://twitter.com/kbirecycling/statuses/1026491976722468865">1533569733.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Moreover, manufacturers have little economic incentive to modify existing protocols to incorporate recycling-friendly designs. Today it <a href="https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/e/5/e5530917-434d-451c-8a6b-c5cdfad1b5ec/EED12407A6BF7DE6C86A4B39C25CF6A4.greenberger-testimony-07.17.2019.pdf" target="_blank">costs more to recycle</a> a lithium-ion battery than the recoverable materials inside it are worth.</p><p>As a result, responsibility for handling battery waste frequently falls to third-party recyclers – companies that make money from collecting and processing recyclables. Often it is cheaper for them to store batteries than to treat and recycle them.</p><p>Recycling technologies that can break down batteries, such as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/pyrometallurgy" target="_blank">pyrometallurgy</a>, or burning, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/hydrometallurgy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">hydrometallurgy</a>, or acid leaching, are becoming <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s41918-018-0012-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">more efficient and economical</a>. But the lack of proper battery recycling infrastructure creates roadblocks along the entire supply chain.</p><p>For example, transporting used batteries over long distances to recycling centers would typically be done by truck. Lithium batteries must be packaged and shipped according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's <a href="https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=83659c6aca8187cdb60b38763b2ffbb8&node=se49.2.173_1185&rgn=div8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Class 9 hazardous material regulations</a>. Using a <a href="https://www.anl.gov/egs/everbatt" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">model developed by Argonne National Laboratory</a>, we estimate that this requirement increases transport costs to more than 50 times that of regular cargo.</p>
Safer and Simpler
<p>While it will be challenging to bake recyclability into the existing manufacturing of conventional lithium-ion batteries, it is vital to develop sustainable practices for solid-state batteries, which are a next-generation technology expected to enter the market within this decade.</p><p>A solid-state battery replaces the flammable organic liquid electrolyte in lithium-ion batteries with a nonflammable inorganic solid electrolyte. This allows the battery to operate over a much wider temperature range and dramatically reduces the risk of fires or explosions. Our <a href="http://zhengchen.eng.ucsd.edu/" target="_blank">team of nanoengineers</a> is working to incorporate ease of recyclability into next-generation solid-state battery development before these batteries enter the market.</p><p>Conceptually, recycling-friendly batteries must be safe to handle and transport, simple to dismantle, cost-effective to manufacture and minimally harmful to the environment. After analyzing the options, we've chosen a combination of specific chemistries in next-generation all-solid-state batteries that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1557/mre.2020.25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">meets these requirements</a>.</p><p>Our design strategy reduces the number of steps required to dismantle the battery, and avoids using combustion or harmful chemicals such as acids or toxic organic solvents. Instead, it employs only safe, low-cost materials such as alcohol and water-based recycling techniques. This approach is scalable and environmentally friendly. It dramatically simplifies conventional battery recycling processes and makes it safe to disassemble and handle the materials.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDU2NjkxOC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NDM3MjcyOX0.wyUKJaMauaSnDy5y2wkBWaI26DowukyA4vAk9MOLrI4/img.png?width=980" id="d54f2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f8a929e3797557d44277a9a62e6d715f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="600" data-height="298" />
A proposed procedure for recycling solid-state battery packs directly and harvesting their materials for reuse. Tan et al., 2020, CC BY
<p>Compared to recycling lithium-ion batteries, recycling solid-state batteries is intrinsically safer since they're made entirely of nonflammable components. Moreover, in our proposed design the entire battery can be recycled directly without separating it into individual components. This feature dramatically reduces the complexity and cost of recycling them.</p><p>Our design is a proof-of-concept technology developed at the laboratory scale. It is ultimately up to private companies and public institutions, such as national laboratories or state-run waste facilities, to apply these recycling principles on an industrial scale.</p>
Rules for Battery Recycling
<p>Developing an easy-to-recycle battery is just one step. Many challenges associated with battery recycling stem from the complex logistics of handling them. Creating facilities, regulations and practices for collecting batteries is just as important as developing better recycling technologies. China, South Korea and the European Union are <a href="https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/d/c/dc43cdc9-ef56-4f8c-b442-d325aa8acf72/D775B276380B37ABF9A49BFD581DD1A5.sanders-testimony-07.17.2019.pdf" target="_blank">already developing battery recycling systems and mandates</a>.</p><p>One useful step would be for governments to require that batteries carry universal tags, similar to the internationally recognized standard labels used for plastics and metals recycling. These could help to educate consumers and waste collectors about how to handle different types of used batteries.</p><p>Markings could take the form of an electronic tag printed on battery labels with embedded information, such as chemistry type, age and manufacturer. Making this data readily available would facilitate automated sorting of large volumes of batteries at waste facilities.</p><p>It is also vital to improve international enforcement of recycling policies. Most battery waste is not generated where the batteries were originally produced, which makes it hard to hold manufacturers responsible for handling it.</p><p>Such an undertaking would require manufacturers and regulatory agencies to work together on newer recycling-friendly designs and better collection infrastructure. By confronting these challenges now, we believe it is possible to avoid or reduce the harmful effects of battery waste in the future.</p>
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Tesla has more than doubled its third-quarter profits, delivering a record number of electric automobiles despite the pandemic. Tesla
By Kristie Pladson
U.S. electric carmaker Tesla has more than doubled its third-quarter profits, the company has announced, delivering a record number of electric automobiles amid a pandemic that has crippled fellow automakers.
<p>In a letter to investors, the company said it delivered 139,300 vehicles in the third quarter, a new quarterly record. It aims to have produced and delivered 500,000 cars by the end of the year.</p><p>Net profits in the third quarter reached $331 million, more than twice the $143 million posted at the same time a year earlier. Revenue went up nearly 40% to $8.7 billion, exceeding analysts' expectations.</p><p>The value of Tesla shares — which have increased fivefold since the beginning of the year — were up 4.3% to $440.81 in extended trading, news agency Reuters reported. </p><p>This marks the fifth straight quarter of profits for the company. As of September, Tesla reported making $451 million in 2020 and seems on course to post its first annual profit.</p>
CO2 Offset Sales Still Key
<p>An uptick in demand abroad countered a drop in US car sales of nearly 10% over the last year; global deliveries increased 44% in the third quarter.</p><p>But Tesla still partly owes its success to competitor carmakers: as in past quarters, the electric car company's profits relied on the sale of CO2 credits to fellow carmakers, which allow them to offset their emissions and reach government climate targets. Valuing $331 million in the third quarter, Tesla would not have been profitable otherwise. </p>Competition Heats Up
<p>While traditional automakers are suffering in a global economy marked by a pandemic, Tesla is no longer alone in its electric ambitions.</p><p>"The company is still incredibly highly rated, as if it were working in a vacuum. But the competitors are working like mad to catch up," said analyst Craig Irwin of Roth Capital Partners, pointing to hundreds of new battery-powered vehicles that are expected to be released by 2024.</p><p>Volkswagen group is investing over €40 billion ($47 billion) into developing an electric car portfolio, and other competitors have announced similar initiatives.</p><p>"With more electric vehicle launches on the horizon, Tesla has a big red target on its back," said Jessica Caldwell, executive director of insights for the Edmunds.com auto website.</p><p>In its letter, Tesla admitted that reaching its production targets "has become more difficult" and it will rely on of its Model Y small SUV as well as greater activity at its China plant.</p>
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GMC will begin producing an electric Hummer in 2021. GMC
General Motors is reintroducing the gas-guzzling, military-style vehicle known as The Hummer. This time, it's getting a green makeover as a zero-emissions, fully electric pickup truck, NPR reported.
<p>"The irony is not lost on anyone that this former gas-guzzler is coming back as an electric vehicle," Ivan Drury, <em>Edmunds</em>' senior manager of insights, told NPR. "With that said, by demonstrating that 'big' doesn't necessarily mean inefficient, the Hummer EV also represents a monumental paradigm shift."</p><p>The original Hummer, popular in the 90s and 2000s, was discontinued in 2010. Of note, the new zero-emissions version will still be powerful, and going from 0 to 60 mph in three seconds thanks to its 1,0000-horsepower engine, <a href="https://arstechnica.com/cars/2020/10/american-excess-is-back-with-the-1000hp-2022-gmc-hummer-ev-truck/" target="_blank">Ars Technica</a> reported.</p><p>As for size, Ars Technica added that it will measure more than 18 feet long and nearly 8 feet wide (when you include the mirrors), making it almost as big as a Cadillac Escalade.</p>
<p>The 2022 GMC Hummer EV will be available to the public starting in fall 2021. The first wave, called Edition 1, will retail for $112,595, including destination charges. Starting in 2022, later versions will start at $99,995, followed by models that will cost $10,000 less each year until 2024, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/20/gm-unveils-hummer-ev-as-worlds-first-supertruck-for-112600.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CNBC</a> reported.</p><p>While the top three vehicles in the country are pickup trucks, the average cost is about $51,000. However, General Motors, believes the target audience is not the average truck driver, but a client who appreciates technological advances.</p><p>"This is all about people who just love the best in automotive innovation, performance, capability and technology," GMC Vice President Duncan Aldred told CNBC. "These are the people who you may have seen buy the exotic sports car type brands. This will be the must-have item."</p>
<p>For example, the truck will be able to travel 350 miles on a single charge. It will also sport a new feature allowing it to drive diagonally in "CrabWalk" mode, <a href="https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/2022-gmc-hummer-ev-electric-truck-specs-horsepower-price-features/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CNet</a> reported. </p><p>The new Hummer EV will have competition, including the Ford F-150 EV, scheduled to hit the market about the same time. Tesla's Cybertruck is also slated to start production in 2021, CNet reported. </p><p>"With all of these trucks launching over the next year or two, customers will have to debate whether it's worth rolling the dice and placing a reservation this far out without a test drive," Drury told NPR.</p>
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California Governor Signs Order to Ban Sale of New Gas-Powered Cars by 2035
24 September 2020
Politics
An electric car at an eVgo charging station in a parking lot in Dublin, California on June 20, 2018. Smith Collection / Gado / Getty Images
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Wednesday that would ban the sale of new cars in California that run only on gasoline by the year 2035. The bid to reduce emissions and combat the climate crisis would make California the first state to ban the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines, according to POLITICO.
<p>"This is the most impactful step our state can take to fight climate change," said Newsom in a <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2020/09/23/governor-newsom-announces-california-will-phase-out-gasoline-powered-cars-drastically-reduce-demand-for-fossil-fuel-in-californias-fight-against-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">statement</a> that accompanied the signing of the executive order. "For too many decades, we have allowed cars to pollute the air that our children and families breathe. Californians shouldn't have to worry if our cars are giving our kids asthma. Our cars shouldn't make wildfires worse – and create more days filled with smoky air. Cars shouldn't melt glaciers or raise sea levels threatening our cherished beaches and coastlines."</p>
<p>The threats posed by the climate crisis are playing out in dramatic fashion in California. This summer, the state has seen record-setting wildfires, heat waves and drought. Those mounting climate crisis-related challenges have spurred the move away from the state's leading source of greenhouse gas emissions, as <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/09/23/california-electric-cars/" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a> reported.</p><p>"We can't continue down this path," Newsom said at a briefing, as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/23/california-cars-electric-vehicles-gavin-newsom-climate-change" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported. "If you care about your kids and your grandkids, if you care about disadvantaged communities, if you care about seniors, if you care about rural communities, if you care about inner city communities that have been underserved by our fossil fuel economy, then you care about the core construct that we are advancing here in this executive order."</p><p>Newsom added that the order will create "green collar jobs" that Californians are well-positioned to capitalize on since 34 <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/electric-vehicles">electric car</a> manufacturers are already in the state.</p>
<p>"Our second largest export in the state of California are electric vehicles," he said, according to The Guardian. "Those 34 manufacturers, those public trading manufacturers, represent close to half a trillion dollars of market capitalization, some $500bn … this is an economic opportunity."</p><p>For the order to be successful, the technology, scalability, and affordability of electric cars would have to improve dramatically in the next decade. Also, the state will need to make sure charging stations are readily available. California currently has the largest market for electric and hybrid vehicles, with roughly 257,000 new registrations for electric vehicles in 2018, according to The Washington Post. Yet, that number was not even 10 percent of the state's new car market.</p><p>While the order is sure to meet legal challenges, it may set the trend that carmakers need to increase their investment in fossil-fuel-free vehicles.</p>
<p>"The automotive industry was already on the road toward electrification as a long term goal, but many automakers have been guilty of setting short term targets for their electrification strategy that never came to fruition," said Jessica Caldwell, director of insights at Edmunds, an online resource for car data, in an emailed comment to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/23/cars/california-zero-emissions-passenger-vehicles/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CNN</a>. "This rule, if implemented, establishes a specific timeline that they'll collectively need to adhere to. California is a major market that automakers desperately need to maintain sales within to ensure their own viability."</p><p>The announcement also earned the praise of environmental groups.</p><p>"The Governor's Executive Order is a meaningful step in addressing the climate crisis and protecting the health of Californians," said Coalition for Clean Air in an email to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/09/23/916209659/california-governor-signs-order-banning-sales-of-new-gasoline-cars-by-2035" target="_blank">NPR</a>. "Electrifying transportation will also create jobs and help California move forward in its economic recovery."</p>
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The BP oil refinery in Whiting, Indiana across the street from Marktown Park on Jan. 8, 2019. Scott Olson / Getty Images
We may have already passed peak demand for oil.
<p>This suggestion comes from an unlikely source: <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels" target="_self">fossil-fuel</a> giant <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/bp" target="_self">BP</a>. The company released its annual <a href="https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/energy-economics/energy-outlook.html" target="_blank">Energy Outlook</a> report Monday, and found that oil demand may have already peaked in 2019, as the rise in <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/" target="_self">renewable energy</a> intersects with the impact of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_self">coronavirus</a> pandemic, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/sep/14/global-oil-demand-may-have-passed-peak-says-bp-energy-report" target="_blank">The Guardian reported</a>.</p><p>"(The energy transition) would be an unprecedented event," BP chief economist Spencer Dale told journalists, as <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bp-energy-idUSKBN26410O?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A%20Trending%20Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR0vHKXsFVgZ2wnnv66zvdWrWePzm375mU_kVBe6l_kUWkYQE365kESr-IE" target="_blank">Reuters reported</a>. "Never in modern history has the demand for any traded fuel declined in absolute terms."</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/energy-economics/energy-outlook/introduction/overview.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">report outlines</a> three possible energy scenarios for the next 30 years.</p><ol><li>The Rapid Transition Scenario (Rapid): This envisions a scenario in which energy-based greenhouse-gas emissions decline 70 percent by 2050, in line with limiting global warming to well below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2100.</li><li>The Net-Zero Scenario (Net Zero): This scenario imagines the policies adapted in the Rapid scenario are augmented by widespread lifestyle changes, and energy emissions decline by more than 95 percent by 2050, limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.</li><li>The Business-as-Usual Scenario (BAU): This imagines that <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate</a> policies continue at a pace consistent with the past several years, and emissions only decline to less than 10 percent of 2018 levels by 2050.</li></ol>
<p>In the first two scenarios, BP concluded oil demand would already have peaked in 2019, according to The Guardian. In the third, it would plateau after 2019 and peak sometime in the mid-2020s, according to BP.</p><p>However, all three scenarios show <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/oil-and-gas" target="_self">oil and gas</a> on the wane and renewable energy on the rise, Reuters reported. They show fossil fuels falling from 85 percent of energy demand in 2018 to 20 to 65 percent by 2050. Meanwhile, they show renewable technologies like <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wind" target="_self">wind</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/solar" target="_self">solar</a> expanding from five percent of energy demand in 2018 to 20 to 60 percent by 2050, according to Reuters and The Guardian.</p><p>"In all three of these scenarios the share of renewable energy grows more quickly than any energy fuel ever seen in history," Dale told The Guardian.</p>
<p>The coronavirus is expected to speed the decline in oil demand in part because it is slowing economic growth in developing countries, which tend to drive energy demand. At the same time, many developed countries are upping their climate ambitions and carbon taxes.</p><p>Other factors that may limit the demand for oil include the transition towards <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/electric-vehicle" target="_self">electric vehicles</a> and the growing movement to phase out single-use <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastics" target="_self">plastics</a>.</p><p>The report comes the same year that BP <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/oil-and-gas-emissions-bp-2050-2645140229.html" target="_self">announced plans</a> to be an entirely carbon-neutral energy company by 2050. Monday's report seemingly supports Chief Executive Bernard Looney's plan to "reinvent" the company, Reuters pointed out. It was released as the company begins a three-day event outlining its plans to transition its energy sources.</p>
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A British Petroleum petrol station on March 10, 2017, in Ciudad Satelite, Naucalpan de Juarez municipality, Mexico State. The company will reportedly start to offer electric vehicle recharging stations at its retail gasoline stations. RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP via Getty Images
BP, the energy giant that grew from oil and gas production, is taking its business in a new direction, announcing Tuesday that it will slash its oil and gas production by 40 percent and increase its annual investment in low-carbon technology to $5 billion, a ten-fold increase over its current level, according to CNN.
<p>Despite losing $16.8 billion in the second quarter of 2020, the ambitious plan to become a leading purveyor of <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/" target="_self">clean energy</a> sent the company's share price soaring 7 percent Tuesday, as <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/04/business/energy-environment/bp-renewable-investment.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a> reported.</p><p>"This coming decade is critical for the world in the fight against climate change, and to drive the necessary change in global energy systems will require action from everyone," BP said in a statement, as CNN reported.</p><p>As part of its plan, the company will stop its oil and gas exploration in new countries and reduce its current production and carbon emissions by one-third, as <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/08/04/bp-built-its-business-oil-gas-now-climate-change-is-taking-it-apart/" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a> reported.</p>
<p>In a discussion with analysts on Tuesday, BP's Chief Executive Bernard Looney set his company apart from its European counterparts, which have made vague commitments to address the climate crisis. Looney's pledge to invest around $5 billion a year in renewable energy like wind, solar and hydrogen, a clean-burning gas, made it the first oil and gas giant to specify its investment goal, according to The New York Times.</p><p>"This makes the BP the first supermajor to spell out, in detail, what the energy transition will actually entail, in practical terms," said Pavel Molchanov, senior energy analyst for the investment firm Raymond James, to The Washington Post.</p>
<p>"BP today introduces a new strategy that will reshape its business as it pivots from being an international oil company focused on producing resources to an integrated energy company focused on delivering solutions for customers," the company said, as <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bp-outlook/bp-to-cut-fossil-fuels-output-by-40-by-2030-idUSKCN2500NH" target="_blank">Reuters</a> reported.</p><p>The company expects demand for <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels" target="_self">fossil fuels</a> to fall by 75 percent by 2050, if the increase in global temperatures is limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius, or by 50 percent if warming is less than 2 degrees, BP head of strategy Giulia Chierchia told investors, as CNN reported.</p><p>BP said its will cut its oil and gas production by at least one million barrels a day by 2030, a 40 percent reduction from 2019 levels, as CNN reported.</p><p>While the company will dramatically expand its portfolio of clean energy technologies, the next five years will see BP continue to invest most of its money in oil and gas production, according to CNN.</p>
<p>"We believe our new strategy provides a comprehensive and coherent approach to turn our net zero ambition into action," Looney said in a statement Tuesday, as The Washington Post reported.</p><p>The investment in low-carbon initiatives is set to jump to more than $3 billion by 2025 and $5 billion by 2030, "en route to 50 gigawatts of renewable generation capacity by 2030 alongside scale-up of other clean tech businesses," Molchanov said, as The Washington Post reported.</p><p>The company sees a profitable future in providing clean energy to cities. According to The Washington Post, BP plans to advise cities on "power packages" with renewables, back-up batteries and financing. It also will also start to offer <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/electric-vehicles">electric vehicle</a> recharging stations at its retail gasoline stations.</p><p>Oswald Clint, an analyst at Bernstein, a market research firm, told The New York Times that BP's plans were "peer-leading" and that its potential to smoothly manage large projects in the renewables area was "underappreciated."</p><p>Environmental activists were lukewarm about the plans. Greenpeace UK described the announcement as a "necessary and encouraging start," but said BP must go further. "BP has woken up [to] the immediate need to cut carbon emissions this decade," senior climate campaigner Mel Evans said in a statement, as CNN reported.</p>
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A campaign targeting SUV advertising is a project between the New Weather Institute and climate charity Possible. New Weather Institute
To meet its climate targets, the UK should ban advertisements for gas-guzzling SUVs, according to a report from a British think tank that wants to make SUVs the new smoking, as the BBC reported.
<p>The UK has set the ambitious target of net zero emissions by 2050, but that will be difficult to achieve if the public's appetite for large, private cars does not subside.</p><p>The <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ebd0080238e863d04911b51/t/5f1fe08099156872c6ca1e59/1595924618033/Smoking+Out+The+Climate+FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">report</a>, called <em>Upselling Smoke</em>, from New Weather Institute and climate charity Possible, says that SUV advertising should be compared to tobacco advertising, blaming the vehicles for creating a "more dangerous and toxic urban environment."</p><p>It says that if the UK is to meet its goal of being carbon neutral by 2050, drivers must be discouraged from buying large, heavily polluting vehicles, as the <a href="https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/lifestyle/cars/calls-ban-suv-advertising-meet-climate-targets-2931326" target="_blank">Edinburgh News</a> reported.</p>
<p>The New Weather Institute's <a href="https://tinyurl.com/y5dm3pwc" target="_blank">report</a> notes that the size, weight and drag of SUVs means they have a larger carbon footprint than your average car. Despite their enormous carbon footprint, car manufacturers spend millions to increase their share of the UK market. The marketing campaigns are working, too. Just last year, more than 150,000 new cars solved were over 4.8 meters long, which is too large to fit in a standard parking space, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/aug/03/ban-suv-adverts-to-meet-uk-climate-goals-report-urges" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. That's a stark contrast to fully <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/electric-vehicles">electric vehicles</a>, which were only 2 percent of new cars sold. Globally, SUVs account for 60 percent of the increase in the global car fleet since 2010, according to the report.</p><p>The New Weather Institute used the 4.8 meters length as its benchmark, arguing that a smoking-style ban should be in place for any vehicle longer than that, since those vehicles emit more than 160g/km of CO2, as the Edinburgh News reported.</p>
<p>"The UK Government's plan for reaching net zero emissions relies on British drivers quickly switching away from buying traditional petrol and diesel cars to cleaner electric vehicles instead," the report reads, according to the Edinburgh News.</p><p>"That is now starting to happen, but there's a problem: we've been switching to buying SUVs even faster, and as a result the average carbon emissions of a new car sold in the UK have been going up instead of down for the past four years."</p><p>Andrew Simms, co-director of the New Weather Institute, said, according to the BBC: "We ended tobacco advertising when we understood the threat from smoking to public health.</p><p>"Now that we know the human health and climate damage done by car pollution, it's time to stop adverts making the problem worse. In a pandemic-prone world, people need clean air and more space on town and city streets."</p><p>He added that advertisements that promote the biggest and worst emitting SUVs were in effect "upselling pollution."</p>
<p>The report noted that the car industry advertises SUVs as being safer because of their size, but in the long run their pollution creates a far more toxic and dangerous environment for both drivers and pedestrians that will harm public health.</p><p>Robbie Gillett, a campaigner at Possible, said, as The Guardian reported: "Whilst millions of us are trying to reduce our carbon footprints to tackle the climate crisis, we have a multibillion-pound car and advertising industry aggressively marketing highly polluting vehicles – many of which are literally too big for UK streets.</p><p>"Their misleading ads promise us freedom and escape – but the reality of urban road conditions is grinding traffic jams, toxic <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/air-pollution">air pollution</a> and spiraling carbon emissions from road transport that will trash our climate goals. Let's create space to breathe and space to think – free from the advertising pressures of big polluters."</p>
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Li-Cycle uses a two-step process to recover more than 80% of the materials in old lithium ion batteries. Michael Movchin / Wikimedia Commons / CC by 3.0
As electric vehicles become more mainstream, the demand for lithium ion car batteries is growing. But to increase production, the industry needs more lithium, cobalt, and nickel.
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<p>One possible source is batteries that are no longer in use.</p><p>"It's a bit of a waste to just have batteries sitting in a landfill. And there's opportunity there to reuse those materials, make them as good as new," says Kunal Phalpher of <a target="_blank" href="https://li-cycle.com/">Li-Cycle</a>.</p><p>Li-Cycle uses a two-step process to recover more than 80% of the materials in old lithium ion batteries.</p>
<p>"We take the batteries and shred them," Phalpher says. "And then phase two of the process is then to take that mixed material and separate each of the elements through chemical processing."</p><p>The approach generates less carbon pollution than mining those minerals from the ground. And it solves another problem the booming industry is grappling with: how to safely and sustainably dispose of spent batteries.</p><p>Li-Cycle has a demonstration plant in Canada, and Phalpher says it's building a new facility in Rochester, New York. Last December, the company shipped its first commercial load of recycled battery material to a customer – a critical milestone on the road to addressing this global challenge.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/07/canadian-company-recycles-minerals-from-electric-vehicle-batteries/" target="_blank">Yale Climate Connections</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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