Batteries are a critical part of the transition away from fossil fuels. From electric vehicles to grid scale storage for wind and solar, demand for batteries is expected to grow 500% by 2030. In order to meet that demand, we’re going to need a lot more batteries. JB Starubel, Founder and CEO of Redwood Materials (and former Chief Technology Officer at Tesla), says, “I don't see how we make the world sustainable without storage. And right now, batteries, lithium ion batteries largely are the scalable economic solution.” 

Creating a circular battery production process where the materials from decommissioned batteries are recycled to create new batteries would be the most sustainable way to meet our energy storage needs. That’s what Straubel and Redwood Materials are trying to achieve. Straubel says, “we can imagine this future where you don't need to continually extract and supply some chemical into a whole fleet of cars. The batteries today might be economically 95% but technically they’re 99% or more reusable.” 

While a high percentage of batteries are reusable, recycling them is not an easy process. That’s part of the reason why 95% of lithium-ion batteries end up in landfill. In order to recycle a battery, it has to be neutralized in order to prevent fires, and then each of the critical metals has to be purified and separated from each other. Straubel says, “It is a lot harder than notionally taking an old beer can and melting it and then stamping it into a new beer can. Batteries are a kind of a complex mixture of chemistry and chemicals all together. “ 

Some companies are working on new battery chemistries whose materials wouldn’t be as scarce or difficult to obtain. But at the moment, an alternative to lithium-ion batteries doesn’t exist at scale. Straubel says, “The process to mature a battery and to really make sure it's robust and get it to scale is very, very long. So, I learn to take new battery announcements with a little bit of a grain of salt.” 

Until there are enough old batteries being recycled, the critical minerals will still need to be mined. To meet growing demand, lithium mines around the world are opening or expanding, and in the Congo, children as young as six carry sacks of cobalt-laced rocks on their backs. And whether it happens in the U.S. or abroad, there are major environmental impacts from removing those minerals from the earth. 

Aimee Boulanger, Executive Director at the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance, says, “There is not a country in the world with laws sufficient to prevent significant harm where mining happens.” 

But that doesn’t mean mining can’t be done more responsibly. The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance, or IRMA, is working to create high standards that hold mining operations accountable. Despite IRMA being started 16 years ago, only 3 mining companies have released audits scoring their adherence to the IRMA standard so far. But as industry giants like BMW, Mercedes, Ford, GM, Tesla, Rivian and Volkswagen have become members, there is more leverage to get transparency from the mining industry. 

The good news is that there doesn’t need to be new innovation to reduce harm in the mining industry, as Boulanger says, “We don't need 20 years of research and technology to get at best practice mining. This is not nuclear fusion. We absolutely know already how to do mining with less harm.”

This week on Folk Alley, join Elena See to celebrate trees in honor of Arbor Day (April 26). Hear songs from Nomos, Baka Beyond, Kate Wolf, Ben Winship, Grant Dermody & Frank Fotusky, Molly Tuttle, Adia Victoria, a classic from Odetta, a fave from John Gorka, plus, a new single from Laurie Lewis' forthcoming album entitled, 'Trees.'

In hour two, it's new music from Ann Savoy, Chris Castle, Larry Campell & Teresa Williams, The Brother Brothers, Anna Tivel, Iron & Wine, and Martin Simpson; an excerpt from the most recent Basic Folk podcast interview with Humbird; favorites from Michael Doucet and the Red Stick Ramblers; and more.

Writer, naturalist and activist Terry Tempest Williams asks “Can we love ourselves, each other and the Earth enough to change?” She invokes our deepest humanity to honor and protect the wilderness that’s the cauldron of evolution – and of our own imagination. “Our power lies in the love of our homelands,” she tells us in this eloquent, heartfelt tour-de-force, and protecting the wild requires bringing democracy home.

Our guest this week on Art of the Song is California singer/songwriter Jack Tempchin. Perhaps best known for his collaborative work with the late Glenn Frey of the Eagles, Jack wrote their classic Peaceful Easy Feeling, and co-wrote most of the songs on Glenn’s solo album. He also wrote Slow Dancing (Swayin’ to the Music) which was a top ten hit for Johnny Rivers. In the second half of the show we’ll hear a clip from our 2012 interview with the late Glenn Frey where he talks about the process of co-writing with his friend Jack Tempchin, and others.

This month on Climate Connections:

Air Date           Title:

Mon., 4/15 - How expectant parents can prepare for extreme weather: If extreme weather strikes during labor or soon after you give birth, you’ll need some backup options.

Tue., 4/16 - Schools in coal country are going solar: A project in Wayne County, West Virginia, will save the district enough money to pay for three teachers’ salaries.

Wed., 4/17 - What is a passive house? These ultra-efficient homes use up to 90% less energy for heating and cooling than conventional homes.

Thu., 4/18 - Exchange program make EV ownership more affordable for low-income Colorado residents: The program offers $6,000 rebates for new electric vehicles to qualifying participants.

Fri., 4/19 - A third of U.S. adults are interested in cutting back on meat, report finds: Health and cost are the driving motivations, but plant-rich meals can also help the climate.

Mon., 4/22 - What are virtual power plants? They could help utilities balance electricity supply and demand as more renewables join the grid.

Tue., 4/23 - 44% of Latinos live in U.S. counties with a high flood risk: Compared to just 35% of non-Latinos.

Wed., 4/24 - What are fuel cell EVs? They have several advantages over battery-powered EVs for trucking.   

Thu., 4/25 - ‘Just do it!’ Wisconsin couple built a net zero home: It’s equipped with electric appliances, tight insulation, and 41 solar panels.     

Fri., 4/26 - Some anglers say Rhode Island’s Block Island wind farm has improved fishing: The bases of the turbines attract fish, survey respondents reported.

Mon., 4/29 - Alaska Native community experiments with growing food above the Arctic Circle: Climate change is making some traditional foods harder to find, so community members are looking to new ways to increase food security.

Tue., 4/30 - Former school gets new life as an energy-efficient shopping center: Loan programs in 30 states are helping owners revitalize old, inefficient buildings.

Wed., 5/1 - Climate change threatens Africa’s rhinos: Extreme heat, poaching, and habitat loss are pushing the animals closer to extinction.

Thu., 5/2 - Mom fights air pollution in North Denver: Denver has some of the highest levels of ground-level ozone in the U.S.

Fri., 5/3 - Startup mimics nature to produce zero-carbon cement: Prometheus Materials is creating a cement made from algae. 

Mon., 5/6 - A chef’s kiss for induction stoves: Induction stoves are one chef’s preferred way to serve up delicious food.

Tue., 5/7 - Prescribed burning can reduce wildfire damage: Low-intensity fires help clear out dead wood and vegetation, reducing the fuel available when a wildfire comes along.

Wed., 5/8 - Why switching to an EV is good for the climate: Over its lifetime, an electric vehicle produces much less climate-warming pollution than a similar gas-powered car.

Thu., 5/9 - Field workers, farm owners, and buyers band together to protect workers from heat: Heat-related illnesses are a growing risk as the climate warms.

Fri., 5/10 - In praise of shade trees: Urban areas with trees can be as much as 15 degrees cooler Fahrenheit than areas with less foliage.