Since the environmentalists began occupying the White House in 2021, our climate and the health of Mother Earth has greatly improved. Our planet is now free from pollution, dangerous weather, as well as financial insecurity, all thanks to sacrifices of every citizen and political leaders, alike.
I’m just kidding. Actually, through Executive Orders, America’s illustrious elected leaders have been paving the road to insanity with potholes and speedbumps. These same nut jobs are ardently attempting to outlaw gas stoves, washing machines, plus leaf blowers.
If ‘What?’ is probably your first thought of these wacky policy proposals, then you’re on the right track. Clearly these Left-leaning bureaucrats have way too much time on their hands if all they have to ponder is what modern convenience can they justify banning. A real job just might be in order.
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| Executive Orders being signed on day one |
In an effort to modify the day-to-day behaviors of hard-working Americans, the Leftist Biden Administration thought it would be a terrific idea to ban cars and trucks using internal combustion engines.
To mansplain a bit: the internal combustion engine is a device that propels cars, trucks, and boats. It was invented around 1860 and is fueled by gasoline that is refined from oil. That’s all you need to know for today’s story so, I’ll spare you the time and pain. You’re welcome.
As previously alluded, also included in that list are recreational vehicles, snowmobiles, jet skis, yard equipment, personal aircraft, etc. But to justify the banning of these precious modes of transportation and critical tools, the Biden Leftists – but I repeat myself – enjoy spitting out numbers, as facts.
Remember the gas stoves?
“Comically, Biden’s Department of Energy is justifying this proposed requirement based on estimated savings to the consumer for gas cook tops of $21.89 over the next 14.5 years, which equates to a savings of just $1.50 per year. People are not willing to trade such substantially decreased functionality and features for minuscule savings,” U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), said.
Not to leave anyone behind, the Biden Leftists are maintaining that banning those nasty internal combustion engine-powered vehicles (EVs) is necessary to save our delicate environment. Once again, the ol’ razzle dazzle with ‘facts and figures’ seem to show that there’s plenty o’ bucks to be saved by ridding oneself of internal combustion vehicles.
And once again, the brain trust of the Leftist Biden Administration claim that somehow by trashing your old vehicle for a new EV – which currently hover around $75,000 – will be far more inexpensive to own and operate because you won’t be buying gasoline anymore. Yea!
Unfortunately, those same Leftists forgot to mention the charging equipment you’ll need to charge your car at home (or in your apartment complex,) besides the frequent roadside recharges required to get you both to and from your destination, all of which require buying electricity.
For more mansplaining, your new EV will carry batteries to store energy to make the tires and wheels go ‘round and ‘round to allow your EV to operate á la your old car that you were forced to give away. The batteries therein are currently being made from a mineral called lithium.
And exactly like your landscaping lights, electric shaver, cellular phone, robotic vacuum, and other rechargeable goodies, all of which operate on lithium-Ion batteries, have a finite life, eventually requiring replacement. The difference is an EV battery replacement, depending on manufacturer, costs somewhere in the neighborhood of $8,000. Nice neighborhood, eh?
So it seems as though all those monumental savings in buying gasoline will amount to literally nothing when battery replacement is nigh. Shucks, those Lefties must’ve forgotten about that little cost-saving fact.
Be that as it may, we must revisit our lithium supply and from whence it comes.
Because of the sudden desperate need of lithium for EV batteries, the supply of lithium is becoming scarce. But where does it come from? I’m glad you asked.
First, lets examine what the world uses lithium for. Batteries, lubricating grease, metallurgy, silicon nano-welding, pyrotechnics, optics, air purification, military arms, nuclear energy, ceramics and glass, and medicine, are all industries that currently use lithium, and are vying for more and more.
The US Geological Survey, in 2019, reported the four lithium producing countries as Chile, China, Australia, and Argentina. It seems the countries of Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina make up what is known as the Lithium Triangle. The Lithium Triangle is believed to contain over 75% of existing known lithium reserves.
As is evident, the United States is not in the top four countries from which lithium is mined; China, on the other hand, is. And all that means money.
Because of the wild up and down rides of the world economic conditions, since 1998 has been almost impossible to gauge. Back then, lithium metal was about $43/pound. However, since then, prices rose, then dropped by 20%. Nonetheless global consumption was estimated to jump to 300,000 metric tons from about 150,000 tons in 2012, to match the demand for lithium batteries. I’ll let you do the math.
All this is simply wonderful, and the Leftist Biden Administration deserves a standing ovation for taking the initiative to both save our planet and financially break the back of nearly every American citizen, all in the name of The Environment.
But here’s the rub: lithium is not at all like seashells on a beach. Lithium is mined.
“The manufacturing processes of lithium, including the solvent and mining waste, presents significant environmental and health hazards. Lithium extraction can be fatal to aquatic life due to water pollution. It is known to cause surface water contamination, drinking water contamination, respiratory problems, ecosystem degradation, and landscaping damage. It also leads to unsustainable water consumption,” per United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. 13 (UNCTAD/DITC/COM/2019/5).
That doesn’t seem to be the environmental nirvana our Lefty buddies promised us, does it?
Not being one to give up based on hard facts, ‘President Joe Biden last year announced an official goal of half of all new cars sold in the United States to be electric or other zero-emissions technology by 2030,” according to Joe McDonald of the Associated Press.
McDonald continues, “As sales rise, so does official anxiety, especially in Washington and Beijing, about access to lithium and other minerals and the potential for strategic competition.”
There you have it. Planet Earth needs us to change our ways from light bulbs and shower heads to washing machines and vehicles, in order to survive. But the pollution generated along with exorbitant associated costs will bankrupt civilization into oblivion.
Not quite the forward thinking one would expect from such a woke, diverse administration.
