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Is this going to be the next plastic that's going to destroy & pollute nature? Maybe authorities should invest into developing a good refund solution sooner tha

Is this going to be the next plastic that's going to destroy & pollute nature? Maybe authorities should invest into developing a good refund solution sooner than later. I already see some destroyed batteries on streets sometimes, and I wonder what they will do to our environment.

hopler 8y ago
Enjoy life while we have it. In the long run we're all dead.
Baeocystin 8y ago
No. Lithium isn't cadmium.
- robocat 8y ago
  However cobalt isn't something you want in your garden!
  - toomuchtodo 8y ago
    There is quite a bit of R&D going into negating the need for Cobalt in Li batteries. I would not expect Cobalt to be needed in ~3-5 years (for Li batteries).
    - Baeocystin 8y ago
      Lithium Iron Phosphate is an already-viable chemistry that has a lot of upsides and only a few downsides compared to Lithium Cobalt. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_iron_phosphate_battery https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_iron_phosphate_battery The tl;dr is slightly lower energy density (~14%) in exchange for non-toxicity, extremely low self-discharge rates, not prone to runaway thermalling, and great cycle life. It also has the advantage of being able to be essentially a drop-in replacement for many lead-acid uses.
- istjohn 8y ago
  In fact, there was a Science Versus podcast about the benefits of lithium in public drinking water. Lithium naturally occurs in some water sources more than others, and areas with more lithium in the water have better mental health.
  - emmelaich 8y ago
    Interesting! What are the effects of too much lithium though? (To answer myself, from Wikipedia..) >Common side effects include increased urination, shakiness of the hands, and increased thirst.[2] Serious side effects include hypothyroidism, diabetes insipidus, and lithium toxicity.[2] Blood level monitoring is recommended to decrease the risk of potential toxicity.[2] If levels become too high, diarrhea, vomiting, poor coordination, sleepiness, and ringing in the ears may occur.[2]
  - bredren 8y ago
    If you ever visit Ashland, Oregon—famous for its Shakespeare Festival and chill vibes—you’ll have a chance to drink from their “lithia fountain” at the heart of downtown: https://www.trover.com/d/95b7-lithia-water-fountain-ashland-oregon https://www.trover.com/d/95b7-lithia-water-fountain-ashland-...
- Nasrudith 8y ago
  Plus they are already pretty recyclable unlike plastic. Really lithium is probably one of the 'cleanest' materials we've had for batteries given that they aren't mostly heavy metal like NiCad or Lead-Acid.

hopler 8y ago

Enjoy life while we have it. In the long run we're all dead.

Baeocystin 8y ago

No. Lithium isn't cadmium.

robocat 8y ago
However cobalt isn't something you want in your garden!
- toomuchtodo 8y ago
  There is quite a bit of R&D going into negating the need for Cobalt in Li batteries. I would not expect Cobalt to be needed in ~3-5 years (for Li batteries).
  - Baeocystin 8y ago
    Lithium Iron Phosphate is an already-viable chemistry that has a lot of upsides and only a few downsides compared to Lithium Cobalt. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_iron_phosphate_battery https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_iron_phosphate_battery The tl;dr is slightly lower energy density (~14%) in exchange for non-toxicity, extremely low self-discharge rates, not prone to runaway thermalling, and great cycle life. It also has the advantage of being able to be essentially a drop-in replacement for many lead-acid uses.
istjohn 8y ago
In fact, there was a Science Versus podcast about the benefits of lithium in public drinking water. Lithium naturally occurs in some water sources more than others, and areas with more lithium in the water have better mental health.
- emmelaich 8y ago
  Interesting! What are the effects of too much lithium though? (To answer myself, from Wikipedia..) >Common side effects include increased urination, shakiness of the hands, and increased thirst.[2] Serious side effects include hypothyroidism, diabetes insipidus, and lithium toxicity.[2] Blood level monitoring is recommended to decrease the risk of potential toxicity.[2] If levels become too high, diarrhea, vomiting, poor coordination, sleepiness, and ringing in the ears may occur.[2]
- bredren 8y ago
  If you ever visit Ashland, Oregon—famous for its Shakespeare Festival and chill vibes—you’ll have a chance to drink from their “lithia fountain” at the heart of downtown: https://www.trover.com/d/95b7-lithia-water-fountain-ashland-oregon https://www.trover.com/d/95b7-lithia-water-fountain-ashland-...
Nasrudith 8y ago
Plus they are already pretty recyclable unlike plastic. Really lithium is probably one of the 'cleanest' materials we've had for batteries given that they aren't mostly heavy metal like NiCad or Lead-Acid.