Environment |

The Compost: Can we keep retired clean energy tech out of landfills?

Welcome to The Compost, a weekly newsletter on key environmental news impacting Southern California. Subscribe now to get it in your inbox! In today’s edition…

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But what about the batteries?

I get an email or comment like this just about every time I write something that mentions electric vehicles. Some seem to be from folks genuinely concerned about what happens to old EV batteries once they’re retired, since those battery modules are massive and contain potentially toxic heavy metals. Others I can’t help but read in the same pearl-clutching voice as the emails I regularly received when I was on the cannabis beat: But think of the children!

There are, of course, real issues to worry about when it comes to proper disposal of green tech waste, just as there are real considerations around keeping cannabis away from kids. There are also those who seem determined to deploy such concerns to cast doubts on causes they don’t support. So I decided to dig in and find out just how big of a problem clean energy waste is right now, what solutions are out there and what’s coming down the pike. That search became this mini four-part series, which went online Monday.

• The introduction: What happens to old EV batteries, solar panels and wind turbines?
• Part one: Recycling and ‘second life’ options keep retired EV batteries out of landfills
• Part two: Here’s what happens to solar panels when they’re retired
• Part three: Old wind turbine blades get new spin, as businesses turn problem into opportunity

I did find some concerning facts about the scope of the problem and how ready — or not ready — we are to deal with what’s coming. But as is often the case, I also found lots of misinformation and exaggeration around the risks these waste streams pose. And I found lots of promising solutions that are already being implemented to reuse and recycle these three types of green waste tech, including the benches and public art made from wind turbine blades in the photo above.

While it’s on policymakers, researchers and these industries to solve the big-picture challenges here, there are things us consumers can do to help. Here are five examples:

1. If you own an EV or have solar panels, use them for as long as possible. Resist the urge to swap them out for newer models.
2. When you buy an EV or get rooftop solar, ask what the company’s plans are for the battery or panels if they become damaged or when they age out. If they don’t have a transparent plan to keep that gear out of landfills, go with another seller. And follow up on those plans once it’s time to trade that gear in.
3. If there are plans for solar or wind farms in your town, contact your city council members and show up to meetings to make sure the developer’s plans include responsible decommissioning.
4. Support legislation that mandates recycling these items and makes manufacturers establish end-of-life plans for the products they produce.
5. Share such stories and tips with friends, to add more voices to the chorus demanding that green tech stays green.

I’ll close here with a moment for Uno, one of Orange County’s most beloved mountain lions, who was recently hit by a car and killed near Cook’s Corner on Santiago Canyon Road. Thanks to my colleague Laylan Connelly for reporting the sad news and sharing memories of residents’ memorable encounters with the cougar.

— By Brooke Staggs, environment reporter

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🖋️ REGULATE

Gas bills to lobby for dirtier gas?: Last year, state consumer advocates said SoCalGas used ratepayer money to pay for lobbying efforts and lawsuits against tough but popular clean air regulations. State Sen. Dave Min of Irvine is proposing rules against that kind of switch, and Andre Mouchard has the tale. …READ MORE…

Future fourth graders can celebrate: In a happy mistake, it turns out there is money quietly tucked into Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget to keep giving fourth graders free access to some state parks. Passes that can be checked out from libraries are still on the chopping block, though. …READ MORE…

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🛡️ PROTECT

A tricky trash problem: Can trash flushed down the San Gabriel River be stopped before it hits the beach? Laylan Connelly looks at the problem and discussions around potential solutions. …READ MORE…

Sand gets two thumbs down: The long-awaited San Clemente sand replenishment project has been delayed over sand quality issues, with work expected to resume in two months. Laylan is back with this disappointing tale. …READ MORE…

Burying the problem: Call it reverse coal mining. Or the opposite of drilling for oil. Matt Simon with Wired dug into plans to send plant waste underground through retired coal mines and oil wells, so the carbon in that waste will be locked away rather than released into the atmosphere. …READ MORE…

Pause the celebration: This story from Grist reporter Joseph Winters at first appeared a good candidate for the “Celebrate” portion of this newsletter. Winters reported on a new study that shows plastic bag bans have already prevented billions of bags from being used. But read to the end for this disappointing kicker about places like California, which have loopholes that have allowed retailers to replace thin single-use plastic bags with thicker ones that are, in theory, more reusable: “In California, this loophole led to a net increase in the weight of plastic bags used per person between 2004 and 2021.” …READ MORE…

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⚡ ENERGIZE

Solar power from space: “Solar power beamed from space at commercial rates, lighting the globe, is still a future prospect. But this critical mission demonstrated that it should be an achievable future.” Our contributor Collin BIinder has this story on Caltech reaching a milestone in the out-of-this-world search for a clean energy source. …READ MORE…

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💧 HYDRATE

Storm rolls through region: After a slow start to the winter season, it’s been a wet few days in Southern California, sparking hope that we get a reprieve for another year from drought. Storms brought snow to local mountains, unprecedented flooding to San Diego and needed rain to the Southland. Read more in these stories:

• Where Orange County’s 3-day storm dumped the most rain
• Photos: Downpours, floods and rescues around San Diego County
• Storm brings rain, snow and slush to SoCal mountain communities

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🚆 TRANSPORT

Train to Vegas still chugging ahead: A planned high-speed train that would connect Southern California with Las Vegas got a major boost Tuesday, when the Department of Transportation approved $2.5 billion in bonds for the project. …READ MORE…

Hyundai pays to stay competitive : Since Hyundai doesn’t make any of its EVs in the United States yet, its cars don’t qualify for tax credits under President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. So through the end of the month, the company is offering its own cash bonuses of up to $7,500 to those who buy an Ioniq 5, an Ioniq 6 or a Kona Electric. …READ MORE…

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⛰️ EXPLORE

Sage Against the Machine: That’s the name of one of the bands playing at this Saturday’s “Winter Extravaganza,” hosted by the Arroyo Seco Foundation of Pasadena to promote native plants and wildlife. The free event is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Hahamongna Native Plant Nursery, at 4550 Oak Grove Drive, in the Hahamongna Watershed Park. It will feature live music, native plant workshops, classes and discussions about local ecology, as well as a screening of a short film about native plants.

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💪 PITCH IN

Donate wisely: For this week’s tip on how Southern Californians can help the environment… If, like many folks, you’ve been making room for holiday gifts and giving your home a new-year-cleaning, you might now have some surplus used goods on your hands. It’s great to keep those items out of landfills. But well-meaning donations can turn into problems for second-hand stores if you don’t donate wisely. So check out this story from our contributor Liz Ohanesian that walks you through what you need to know about donating electronics, clothes and other items.

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