Rare Earth Metals
Did you know that most of our electronic devices are manufactured using Rare Earth Metals? Just what are Rare Earth Metals? They include indium, gallium, lanthanum, yttrium, europium and neodymium. Lanthanum is required to make nickel metal hydride batteries, used in hybrid cars. Neodymium is essential for motors and generators like those used in wind turbines. These metals are found only in a few places on Earth, and the US relies on imports for 100% of its supply.
Posted: 7/14/2009
Nitrogen: The Triple Whammy.
Nitrogen (reactive nitrogen, such as nitric acid, nitrous oxide, ammonia and nitrate not the inert nitrogen that makes up 80 percent of air), is currently not one of the six gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol. It is, however, teeing up to be another gas to contend with. Its impact is complex, it not only has a role in climate change as a gas that is used in manufacturing, it is also produced during decomposition, and, it has serious biological impacts through its presence in fertilizer use.
Posted: 9/8/2008
LCD Panel Gas: a super powerful GHG
Most LCDs, cell phones panels, televisions and computer monitors, semi conductors and syntehetic diamonds contain nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) a gas that has 17,000 times greater impact than carbon dioxide. It will stay in the atmosphere for 550 years.
Posted: 7/1/2008