“Elephant in the room”: Clean energy’s need for unsustainable minerals

Earth Day was April 22, and its usual message—take care of our planet—has been given added urgency by the challenges highlighted in the latest IPCC report. This year, Ars is taking a look at the technologies we normally cover, from cars to chipmaking, and finding out how we can boost their sustainability and minimize their climate impact.

Salt flats are dotted with shallow, turquoise-colored brine pools. Children in the Democratic Republic of Congo chip at the ground for minerals. In China, the earth is polluted with toxic chemicals.

This is the rush for minerals. People around the world are scrambling, drilling, drying, and sifting to get at a range of metals needed for our energy transition. renewable energy technologies are central to the fight against climate change, but they are heavily reliant on minerals that are naturally occurring, solid materials made from one or more elements Humanitarian, environmental, and logistical challenges are present when refining them.

Different technologies require different materials. Rare earth elements like neodymium are needed for the permanent magnets used in wind turbine and electric vehicle motors, as well as for energy storage in electric vehicles and grid systems. According to a report last year by the International Energy Agency, copper is acornerstone for electricity-based tech.

To achieve net-zero carbon emissions by the year 2050, mineral requirements need to increase six-fold. In that scenario, the demand would increase by 90 percent. Minerals have to come from somewhere, and that often involves harmful sources, increased greenhouse gas emissions, and limits on the mineral supply.

The clean energy transition is possible. These challenges do not justify the continued use of fossil fuels. Obstacles on the horizon need to be addressed to get the most out of the transition.

Finite supply

Resource extraction from space is an increasingly common discussion, though renewable energy comes from finite resources. If we don't play out The Expanse any time soon, something has to be done about the mineral bottlenecks expected for renewable energy development.

There will be a surplus of both of those metals in the near term, but others, like neodymium and battery-grade nickel, could see shortages as demand increases. In a sustainable, climate- change-limiting scenario, mineral supply risks could slow energy transitions.

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In the last decade, the amount of mining in the Atacama Desert has tripled, according to an associate professor of Global Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

There is a big elephant in the room when it comes to the demand for minerals and metals. He said that rare earth elements like neodymium aren't that rare as they exist in high concentrations in the Earth's crust. It is very costly, more energy intensive, and harmful to the environment to extract high-grade deposits from lower-grade deposits.

He said to move to a more circular economy to deal with the problem. This might be a system in which elements can be recycled at the end of their lives. The circular economy means wasting less and still making money. He said that this reduces the pressure on the industry because you can keep using the same assets.

The circular economy has its own issues and must go beyond supply and demand. The growing demand for these metals and their long- lasting nature means that attaining these metals will always involve mining.

Barandiar pointed out that it is important to ensure that batteries are recycled locally and not shipped overseas. She said that lead-acid battery recycling has been successful on paper, but it can be done in Mexico or is poorly regulated.

If a recycling-focused economy addresses these concerns, the benefits still have some potential to increase supply and reduce emissions from mineral development.