Community Chat

[Isobel Archer]

The green-energy agenda coming out of Washington, D.C., is being touted as the panacea to climate change.

But at what cost to some Native American communities?

That’s what People of Red Mountain is asking ─ a grassroots organization of traditional knowledge keepers and members of the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe fighting hard against a proposed lithium mine in Thacker Pass, Nevada, an area in Humboldt County estimated to contain the largest-known lithium deposits in the United States, according to mining sources.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approved the lithium mine on January 15, 2021, without attempting any good faith consultations with the tribe, states a People of Red Mountain spokesperson. “There was no consultation with the tribe that this mine was even in the works.” Most egregiously, BLM fast-tracked the environmental impact statement. This “flawed” study on how the mine would affect the water, air, land, wildlife, plants, food, and people in surrounding communities “took only one year when it should have taken five.”

While the mine is expected to be a profit bonanza for Lithium Nevada, it will come at a great environmental and spiritual cost to the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe, whose reservation border is only 15 miles from the proposed mining site.

The project data is staggering. The mining company estimates that per year it will produce 152,703 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, burn 680,000 tons of sulfur, and use nearly two billion gallons of water in a basin already suffering from severe drought.

People of Red Mountain also worry that the mine will leach uranium, antimony, sulfuric acid, aluminum, and arsenic, and leave radioactive waste in its wake. “Lithium Nevada wants to turn Thacker Pass into a toxic wasteland by contamination of water, air, irreparable damage to the land and culturally important animals, medicines, and first foods, ultimately guilty of cultural genocide to the Paiute and Shoshone people,” the organization tells First Nations.

Several lawsuits have been filed against BLM and the U.S. Department of the Interior over the planned mine by neighboring tribes, environmental groups, mining watchdogs, and a generational rancher. At the court hearing on Jan. 5, 2023, they will make a formal request to rescind all project permits until another environmental impact study is conducted.

[Isobel Archer]

It also makes me wonder how the people who promote use of EVs knowing that slave labor and child labor is used to mine the elements needed to produce them are any different from the folks who defended slavery in the past because it was "needed" to pick cotton and maintain plantations.  Or the people who decry coal mines but defend lithium mines which also apparently abase the workers and hurt the environment.

Just saying.  Virtue signaling is so interesting in what it's willing to ignore.

[CrazyDaisy]

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@NYCLatinaMe wrote:

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@CrazyDaisy wrote:

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@NYCLatinaMe wrote:

@CrazyDaisy  I am not aware of anyone being required to buy an EV.  I understand most have financial constraints.

We want to save the earth for our grandchildren and the generations to come, and our health.  That has value to me!  

Imagine the savings and extra income the world would have if people did not get sick from car emissions!

I am hoping for continuous improvement and advancement.

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California is requiring all new cars sold by 2035 be zero emissions,  so yes they are requiring you to buy EV cars.  There are many studies by the Biden administration that show that the environmental impact of EV cars is not as good as you seem to believe.  You might want to do a little reading so you know the facts. Approaching issues from a realistic side rather than an idealistic side will solve problems.

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Hi @CrazyDaisy 

The law that you are referring to will allow people to buy used gas powered cars, if that is your wish and what you can afford, so no worries.  People will be able to buy gas powered cars.

I think the purpose of these laws is to encourage innovation and advancement.  These are good things.

I would not spend a lot of time worrying about a law that will take effect in 10 years, because it can be changed in the blink of an eye.  Or maybe your feelings about the law will change.

New York passed a law in 2019 that required the payment of a toll beginning in July 1, 2024, in order to drive vehicles in certain areas of the city where there is a lot of traffic congestion.  Everything was in place for the law to take effect, and a couple of weeks ago the NYS governor said she was going to indefinitely postpone the law, which she probably doesn't have the legal authority to do, but I am not sure.

So things change.

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Amazing how you keep missing the point.  Keep living in your world.  Need to move on with my life in the real world, the one based in reality.

[magicmoodz]

Why aren't we (as a country) doing something as simple as changing our work week? I have been belaboring the positives of a 4-day work week since the beginning of time.😄 So when we can't even make this simple change, I'm not really supportive yet of giving up my gas-guzzling car.

The most major benefit of the 4-day work week would be to lower emissions through the reduction of commuting. A study by Green Peace estimated that the 4-day week could cut commuting miles by a staggering 558 million per week.

Can the 4 day work week help the environment? Of course, if people are working a 4 day week then that's one less day to commute to the office so one less day worth of transport fumes or electricity to generate. For example, Microsoft Japan reported a 23% decrease in electricity costs during their 4 day work week trial.Feb 12, 2024

Oh and remember back in the day when people would actually carpool to and from work. Yeah, that doesn't happen much any more. We are all too independent and won't give up the ability to stop at Walmart on the way home.😢 

[lgfan]

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@magicmoodz wrote:

Why aren't we (as a country) doing something as simple as changing our work week? I have been belaboring the positives of a 4-day work week since the beginning of time.😄 So when we can't even make this simple change, I'm not really supportive yet of giving up my gas-guzzling car.

The most major benefit of the 4-day work week would be to lower emissions through the reduction of commuting. A study by Green Peace estimated that the 4-day week could cut commuting miles by a staggering 558 million per week.

Can the 4 day work week help the environment? Of course, if people are working a 4 day week then that's one less day to commute to the office so one less day worth of transport fumes or electricity to generate. For example, Microsoft Japan reported a 23% decrease in electricity costs during their 4 day work week trial.Feb 12, 2024

Oh and remember back in the day when people would actually carpool to and from work. Yeah, that doesn't happen much any more. We are all too independent and won't give up the ability to stop at Walmart on the way home.😢 

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I no longer carpool because of inconsiderate co-workers who would keep me waiting fifteen minutes every morning therefore making me late for work.  I also got tired of being a Uber service and driving said co-workers to the bank, supermarket, etc. after work.  

[Isobel Archer]

I took Metro for years when I worked at the Pentagon.  But that was then - when the Metro police wouldn't even let you take a cup of coffee on the train, let alone food.

After I retired, I still took Metro into the city for plays etc, but I was appalled at the food trash everywhere, the rowdy kids harassing passengers etc.

Now I haven't taken it for some time since I keep reading reports of people being pushed onto the tracks, knifed, shot or otherwise attacked.

You want me to drive less, make it safe to do so.  But on the other hand I don't drive into the city now either due to the number of carjackings - so I guess that's another way to cut down on driving.

[buyornot]

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@juanitalinda wrote:

@buyornot 

I charge mine outside in my driveway overnight.  Works wonderful.  

I haven't heard of people stealing cords around here.  However, they are definitely targetting the power and telephone lines along the roads. 

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But do you live where you regularily can get 4-5 feet of snow?

[buyornot]

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@magicmoodz wrote:

The Target Store down the street must have 8 or 10 charging stations.

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Target Store down the street? In the country it's 40 miles away...

[Cakers3]

@Isobel Archer  The hypocrisy never ends.😞

Your post is extremely important 💯.

Oh and don't forget the eclipse, the earthquake, and the cicadas this year were all caused by climate change. 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

Yes, it was said on live TV.

[juanitalinda]

Well .. my car is always parked outside the garage, so we have to shoevel regardless.