I SEE that the city council has said that electric cars can use the Itchen Bridge for free. Why? Because the council want to appear 'green' perhaps?

Lithium-ion batteries are a crucial component of electric cars.

Lithium is relatively plentiful, but mining it has wreaked environmental havoc with local ecosystems. It is found in abundance in South America, and in lithium-rich regions of Chile extracting the metal uses two-thirds of the area's fresh drinking water. Lithium metal is corrosive and breathing lithium dust or alkaline lithium compounds irritates respiratory tracts. Prolonged exposure to lithium can cause fluid to build-up in the lungs, leading to pulmonary oedema. The metal itself is a handling hazard because of the caustic hydroxide produced when it is in contact with water when it becomes explosive.

Two other key ingredients, cobalt and nickel extraction have potentially huge environmental costs too.

Cobalt is found in huge quantities right across the Democratic Republic of Congo, and hardly anywhere else. The price has quadrupled in the last two years. So with cobalt essentially found in only one country and easy to find there's a very strong motivation to dig it up and sell it, and that has led to unsafe and unethical behaviour. Cobalt is extracted from the ground by hand, often using child labour, without protective equipment. In 2014 UNICEF estimated that 40,000 children were being lured or forced into this gruelling and dangerous mine work. Many work 12-hour days and the youngest are aged just seven. It is effectively slavery.

Still as long as electric cars can travel over the Itchen Bridge for free, it is worth it.

Yes?

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