Climate change and global warming are real and pose an existential threat to all life on Earth. The burning of fossil fuels is the main cause. They have social and environmental justice issues, as well as numerous negative impacts on the environment and people’s health.
To reduce the impact of climate change and global warming, Lexington has appropriately embraced electrification through the use of lithium-ion batteries. These batteries power our electric police cruisers. It is the technology that will be used for energy storage to help get our new police station to “net zero.” Lithium-ion batteries are already being used for energy storage at Bowman, Bridge, Clarke, Diamond, Harrington, Hastings and Lexington Children’s Place. Not to mention, electric leaf blowers were prominent in the discussion about the town’s gas-powered leaf blower ban.
As we know, lithium-ion batteries are an imperfect solution. When evaluated on a lifecycle, or cradle-to-grave basis, the technology we must embrace has its own set of social and environmental justice issues and negative impacts on people’s health and their local environments.
A cradle-to-grave study performed by climate scientists at Argonne National Laboratory found that gasoline-powered vehicles are dirtier than electric vehicles, but that electric vehicles also have a carbon footprint and contribute to climate change and global warming. (1), (2) They are a less dirty alternative.
The primary way we obtain the metals and minerals required for lithium-ion batteries is extraction (mining). Mining takes place in environmental justice communities, regions and countries around the world. Extraction creates social and environmental justice issues, and inflicts negative impacts on the health and local environments of native and indigenous populations. (3), (4), (5), (6)
Energy infrastructure has historically has been located in environmental justice communities. (7) The climate bill signed by Governor Maura Healey last November ensures these communities in Massachusetts will not be burdened as they have been in the past. (8)
Current methods for recycling spent lithium-ion batteries are inefficient. (9) Batteries that are not recycled end up in landfills that are disproportionally located near low-income, non-white communities. (10) This is yet another source of social and environmental justice issues and negative impacts on people’s health and their local environment. (11), (12) The gold standard for the recycling of lithium-ion batteries is “circular recycling,” which will eliminate the need for extracted metals because the world’s needs will be met by reclaiming 100% of the required metals for new batteries from recycled batteries. (13) While circular recycling is an attainable goal, production of lithium-ion batteries will require extracted metals until at least the late 2040s. (14)
The negative aspects of fossil fuels were discussed at length as part of our advocacy to transition the police department to electric vehicles and during the town’s debate on the gas-powered leaf blower ban. So, where is the hypocrisy? Whenever the negative aspects of lithium-ion batteries are raised, our pat response is “there are no perfect solutions.” But this response is never followed by a discussion about what those imperfections are. Although we tell ourselves that there are no perfect solutions, we position lithium-ion batteries as a perfect solution by greenwashing them, describing them as being “green and clean and healthy.” (15)
In my opinion, our town is afraid that openly discussing both the drawbacks and benefits of lithium-ion batteries could weaken residents’ commitment to fighting climate change and transitioning to green energy. This lack of faith is a disservice to the residents. I believe that Lexington residents are smart and thoughtful. Rather than reducing our commitment, the discussion will make our advocacy more credible.
It’s time for Lexington to have an open and honest conversation about lithium-ion batteries.
1. U.S. Department of Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center. https://afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/electric-emissions
2. Argonne National Laboratory. https://greet.anl.gov/publication-c2g_lca_us_ldv
3. Amnesty International. https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr62/3183/2016/en/
4. Harvard International Review. https://hir.harvard.edu/lithium-triangle/
5. First Nations Development Institute. https://www.firstnations.org/stories/one-native-groups-fight-to-protect-sacred-land-from-destructive-lithium-mining/
6. Nature. https://www.nature.com/articles/s44183-023-00009-7
7. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/2024-03/MA-infrastructure-fact-sheet-3-21.pdf
8. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/2024-03/MA-infrastructure-fact-sheet-3-21.pdf
9. South Bayside Waste Management Authority Lithium Based Battery Assessment. https://rethinkwaste.org/wp-content/uploads/legacy_media/7-a-attachment-d-lithium-based-battery-assessment-2017.original.pdf
10. Population Education. https://populationeducation.org/one-mans-trash-is-anothers-burden-social-justice-waste-management/
11. Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2021-08/lithium-ion-battery-report-update-7.01_508.pdf
12. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-09784-z
13. RMI. https://rmi.org/insight/the-battery-mineral-loop/
14. RMI. https://rmi.org/insight/the-battery-mineral-loop/
15. Quiet Clean Lexington. https://www.quietcleanlex.org/home
Additional supporting references available on request.