Page 43 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 26
P. 43
The Environment
metal mined in highly polluting is required for a major buildout
conditions. Solar panels and of renewable energy and will
batteries use rare earth metals, largely come from burning
Wind and solar power can including lithium and cobalt, fossil fuels. Avoiding the use of
allow future generations which may be mined in horribly more fossil fuels requires high-
some of the conveniences exploitive conditions.[1], [2] consumer countries to reduce
we have come to take for When Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla current energy demands and
granted... Motors, was challenged over use less energy. Prioritizing the
whether the need for batteries end of future fossil fuel use is of
...but for this to happen for his electric cars might have critical importance in a warming
within a framework of had something to do with the world (see Bioenergy).
justice, sustainability and 2019 coup in Bolivia (site
environmental protection, of one of the largest lithium Grids, Space, Time and
the overdeveloped world mines), he tweeted, “We will Distance
must go on an energy diet. coup whoever we want. Deal
with it.”[3] Providing power on demand
of generating electricity continues to be one of
and solar can also provide Proposals around the world renewable energy’s greatest
heating. However, generating abound to spike the economy challenges. Wind and solar are
electricity for buildings, and solve the environmental intermittent, so if we stick with
cooking, water heating problems of fuel-powered cars the current standard – that every
and transportation would by converting to all-electric desired watt of power must be
require generating much vehicle fleets. Certainly, this instantly delivered at all costs –
more renewable energy- would create many jobs, and the increased energy storage would
based electricity, which batteries would help store power be necessary. Furthermore, the
is problematic and raises produced by renewable sources, infrastructure needed to set up
questions about where the but building new cars and trucks large-scale renewable energy
materials will come from, requires a lot of materials, which is problematic. There are plans
how and where they will be raises the questions of where do to generate large amounts of
mined and transported, where the materials come from and electricity in deserts in northern
they will be placed and who at what social and ecological Africa and the U.S. Southwest,
owns them.
costs? and then run the power over
long distances across the
The Earth’s ecological limits In addition to the concerns Mediterranean to Europe or to
must be faced. Windmills about sourcing materials for eastern U.S. cities. Such projects
impact the pathways of birds solar panels, wind turbines and would incur efficiency loss along
and require large amounts of batteries, building renewable the conduit, environmental
steel and cement, and most energy requires a lot of energy injustices in one place, and a
use neodymium, a rare earth
input. Therefore, extra power benefit far away.
ISSUE 26 | APRIL 2024 43
