5 ms·
Electric leaf blowers utilize non-renewable rare earth metals, should we outlaw those too?
by GaryTang 5y ago
Electric leaf blowers utilize non-renewable rare earth metals, should we outlaw those too?
- guilhas 5y agoExactly, gas-powered anything should be more than an acceptable solution during the transition from petrol/diesel/coal to electric
- space_rock 5y agoCompanies are already transitioning to cobalt free batteries https://www.electrive.com/2021/07/23/svolt-launches-production-of-cobalt-free-battery-cells/ https://www.electrive.com/2021/07/23/svolt-launches-producti...
- rascul 5y agoAre you referring to batteries? Edit: I'm not authoritative, but I can't think off the top of my head of any rare earth metals that an electric leaf blower uses except perhaps in the batteries. But also, there are plug in electric leaf blowers.
- nkurz 5y agoI presume the OP was referring to magnets. Rare earths are used to make stronger permanent magnets, which are used to make more efficient electric motors (for both plug-in and battery tools). This looks to be an intro article: https://qz.com/1999894/why-rare-earth-magnets-are-vital-to-the-global-climate-economy/ https://qz.com/1999894/why-rare-earth-magnets-are-vital-to-t....
- rascul 5y agoInteresting. I wasn't aware that there existed magnets with rare earth metals. Thank you for the information.
- belorn 5y agoIf Electric leaf blowers was the biggest consumer of rare earth metals for every hour of usage, then we would likely have an issue with those. Leaf blowers could do what boat motors have been mostly forced to do and switch over to four-stroke motors. Motors have emission standards to follow. Battery manufacturers has environment laws to follow and if they produce products that fall below the minimum standard then they have to improve their product or be banned from selling their products.
- dTal 5y agoNon-renewable isn't ideal, but it's not half as big of a problem as spewing pollution everywhere - which is the problem under discussion.