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Electric cars are seen as an environmentally friendly solution for travelling in
a vehicle. Unlike gas-powered cars, electric cars produce zero greenhouse gas emissions out of their tailpipe. In fact, electric cars don’t even have a tailpipe.
That doesn’t mean they are totally environmentally friendly. Some of the things that go into building an electric car can cause serious environmental problems. This includes nickel. Nickel is a key metal used in the production of electric batteries. It is expected that the need for nickel will increase as more electric car batteries are produced.
The problem is that nickel is mined, and mining uses a lot of power. If that power comes from fossil fuels like coal, diesel or natural gas, greenhouse gas emissions are created. Also, mining creates a mixture of mined rock, chemicals, and water, called tailings. Tailings can be toxic to
the environment if they aren’t disposed of properly.
Currently, much of the world’s nickel is being mined in Indonesia. Indonesia’s mining companies are planning to dump their tailings into the ocean. This is a major concern for environmentalists.
Elon Musk and Tesla are hoping for a cleaner source of nickel from Canada. It has been reported that Tesla is in talks with Canadian mining company Giga Metals. It is believed they are working on a deal to help Giga create an environmentally sustainable mine that produces carbon-neutral nickel.
Giga Metals is working to build a mine in British Columbia. It has said the mine would use clean hydropower to provide some of the power for the mine’s operations. The company is also exploring technology that would turn mining waste into a cement-type rock that would also be used to trap carbon dioxide so it isn’t released into the air.
The Giga Metals mine is estimated to hold 2.36 million
tonnes of nickel. That would be enough nickel to power thousands of electric vehicles.
At an event in July, Musk issued a public challenge to find low-carbon nickel. He said, “Tesla will give you a giant contract for a long period of time if you mine nickel efficiently and in an environmentally sensitive way.”
Nickel demand is forecast to grow by 30 percent by 2030—mostly as a result of increasing sales of electric vehicles.
Canada’s five-cent coin, the nickel, was made almost entirely from nickel metal starting in 1922. Today it is made from steel.
DID YOU KNOW?
CarboN NEuTraL: A process that uses or traps as much greenhouse gas emissions as it releases, so that, overall, there is no increase in global emissions.
Mining in CanadaCanada is a large landmass with many natural resources. Our country ranks in the top five producing countries for 13 major minerals and metals. We are:
• First in potash;• Second in uranium and niobium;• Third in nickel, cobalt, aluminum and platinum group metals; and• Fifth in gold and diamonds.
The table below shows which minerals and metals are mined in each province and territory.