Opinion: Miner’s grandson disputes Green Energy pitch

OPINION

Listened to your interview with John Podesta. He certainly seems to be on Joe Biden’s “green energy” side…faults and all with “green energy”. But that didn’t surprise me.

Also not surprising is how Podesta did not mention the fact that massive profits will be made by China if Joe Biden’s “green energy” electric vehicle initiative takes hold in the US. The faults and pitfalls with “green energy” is never addressed by progressive Democrats.

A major pitfall is that the U.S. no longer mines for the essential metals (think California style Sierra Club mentality) that are used in the large, expensive batteries required to operate electric vehicles.

As the grandson of a miner, I keep up with mining news and it has been reported in our newsletter that while China made inroads during the mid-2000s in mining for nickel, tin and coal they have (since 2015) made aggressive moves to tie up the most desired metals that are necessary in the electrification of vehicles (lithium, cobalt and copper). China is now the world leader in ownership of such mines as far away as the African Congo.

The U.S. has not mined cobalt since 1971. Cobalt is necessary to stabilize electric vehicle batteries and as such the U.S. is dependent on foreign suppliers and namely China. Reportedly, a cobalt mining operation has been planned in Lemhi County, Idaho but the owner is an Australian mining company, and the cobalt mine is not yet built.

As far as mining for lithium in the U.S, it appears that plans are being discussed in Nevada but with vigorous protests from environmental groups who insist that mining lithium is not green-friendly and by Nevada ranchers who are concerned about excessive water usage and water pollution. Therefore, it may be concluded that replacing combustion engine vehicles with electric vehicles isn’t so green after all.  If progressive Democrats wish to trade off gasoline powered emissions for lithium and cobalt mining emissions then all we get is a different form of emissions pollution and the supposedly “green” electric vehicle deal proves to be an ill-advised, nonsensical idea”.

I believe that much of the progressive Democrat “green energy” initiative is a farce. Just where do the “green energy” Democrats propose to dispose of hundreds of thousands of electric vehicle batteries when they can no longer be recharged? The obvious answer is that they will have to disposed of in U.S. landfills and that will create huge toxic dumps. So much for the “green energy” Democrats!

Oh and Phil Murphy jumping on board with “green energy” and his silly wind power for New Jersey directive is not surprising because Murphy is a California type progressive. God help New Jersey.  if we ever become Murphy’s “California of the east”. I find Murphy to be laughable almost as much as I find him to be worrisome for our state.

John Korolow lives in Old Bridge.

Click PLAY to listen to former White House Chief of Staff John Podesta talk to David Wildstein about climate change on the New Jersey Globe Power Hour.