CarwilBJ’s Twitter Archive—№ 28,550

…in reply to @CarwilBJ
Some key points… renewable energy, energy storage, electrification of transport, and enlarging the power grid to replace on-site burning of fossil fuels for heating all have mineral (mostly metal) demands. The IEA attempted to quantify these… iea.org/reports/the-role-of-critical-minerals-in-clean-energy-transitions
On twitter.com 2021 Jun 29 Mood -1 🙁

…in reply to @CarwilBJ
As Riofrancos points out, the scale of these demands depends on how much individual products continue to predominate over collective solutions, with cars vs mass transit as perhaps the best example.
Permalink On twitter.com 2021 Jun 29 Mood +3 🙂

…in reply to @CarwilBJ
"One report estimates that the mining sector produces 100bn tons of waste every year. Extraction and processing are typically water- and energy-intensive, and contaminate waterways and soil."
Permalink On twitter.com 2021 Jun 29 Mood -3 🙁

…in reply to @CarwilBJ
This is both a problem in terms of the industry's orientation, and an opportunity for emissions reductions… There's a lot of unnecessary mining that could be avoided thru reduced consumption and greater recycling.
Permalink On twitter.com 2021 Jun 29 Mood +2 🙂

…in reply to @CarwilBJ
However, a couple of limits to Riofrancos' argument: 1. The transition from mining fuel to mining energy capturing materials represents a huge decrease in the total volume needed for energy.
Permalink On twitter.com 2021 Jun 29 Mood 0

…in reply to @CarwilBJ
There's simply no comparison between the massive displacements implied by coal mining and the rotor, turbine, and battery replacements for them.
Permalink On twitter.com ❤️ 1 Favorite 2021 Jun 29 Mood -1 🙁

…in reply to @CarwilBJ
2. Minerals w/o long histories of extraction are often available in higher concentration sites, requiring less processing than minerals (like gold, silver) that have largely been stripped from the Earth already.
Permalink On twitter.com ❤️ 1 Favorite 2021 Jun 29 Mood +4 🙂