Planning_Document_First_Rough_Draft_StuartPierson

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School

Southern New Hampshire University *

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Course

200

Subject

Chemistry

Date

Dec 6, 2023

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docx

Pages

7

Uploaded by JudgeThunderEmu16

1 Planning Document First Rough Draft Stuart Pierson Southern New Hampshire University SCI-200: Applied Natural Sciences Amy Rollins May 28, 2023
2 Planning Document First Rough Draft My issue: For the course project, I have selected an environmental science issue that has to do with just how clean electric vehicles are. I have decided to focus on this issue as it relates to my passion for nature and the outdoors. Additionally, CO2 emissions from gasoline vehicles are a significant issue that significantly impacts society and our planet. With the United States and many organizations pressured by society and consumers, having turned a significant focus to eliminating waste and greenhouse gases from their operations, the electric car has emerged as a possible solution to decrease and eventually eliminate CO2 emissions from the use of vehicles. Tesla leads the way in electric car innovation and has built a famous brand reputation on the marketing message that these vehicles produce zero emissions, fueling the popularity of their cars. However, that is not entirely true. While the vehicle itself may not make any emissions, the power plant used to charge the batteries is likely not. The problems do not stop with just charging the battery. Mining rare materials to produce the batteries is not exactly clean. Then consider the disposal of old batteries, another issue to factor in. Gasoline engines from vehicles produce 24 percent of U.S. greenhouse gases, accounting for more than 1.7 billion metric tons per year. The source of those emissions comes from millions of tailpipes which, when you think about it, could be very difficult to control as consumers have their preferences and choice of vehicle. However, the smokestacks from coal- fired power plants are a much larger issue as they produce more than 2 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases annually. The presence of more electric cars on the road may help in eliminating the transportation of oil. Still, it will have an increased demand for more electricity to continue to charge these batteries (Biello, 2016). How the electric car industry continues
3 moving forward will significantly impact society. Society needs to understand that greenhouse emissions are larger contributors to climate change. Organizations in the electric car business must continue to innovate and exercise the best TBL practices possible to incorporate a cleaner source of energy for these batteries. Eliminating a problem only to introduce another is not the innovation society should accept. My question: What environmental impacts are caused by disposing of retired LIBs on wastewater? My science resources: 1. My first source is titled "A review on the growing concern and potential management strategies of waste lithium-ion batteries." I chose this source as a starting point as it provided a unique perspective on my original question regarding the environmental impacts of EV batteries. After reviewing this source, my question morphed into a more specific direction regarding LIBs and their disposal at the end of life. These are now the primary batteries used in most consumer electronics and EVs. This review is unlike many before as those before it have focused more on the environmental impacts posed by the production and use of LIBs. This review focuses on the threat retired LIBs pose to our environment by providing an overview of this near-future waste stream, its environmental impacts, solutions, and issues with the current recycling technologies. The review explains that we have some precautions and safeguards, such as recycling, landfill liners, and leachate collection systems. It also provides insight into the pitfalls of these measures and indicates that studies on wastewater from these measures still fail to meet EPA standards. This review provided a broad overview of my question topic and all the toxic chemicals and metals left behind from these LIBs, including how this toxic waste finds its way into wastewater later used in producing
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