Transcript:
Aluminum is not only found in soda and beer cans. The material is used in all kinds of substances – from cell phones and solar panels to electric cars and aircraft.
Demand for many of these products is growing rapidly.
“So, demand here in the United States is increasing not only but globally, which adds up to a small amount of aluminum.”
Annie Sartor works with hard-working labs, a organization dedicated to reducing the climate impact of aluminum and other industrial materials.
She said aluminum production requires a lot of electricity. In places like China, more than half of the world produces aluminum, and most of the electricity comes from burning coal, so it causes a lot of carbon pollution from global warming.
But where there are more electricity in renewable energy – Canada, for example, uses a lot of hydropower, has much less climate impact.
In many regions, renewable energy is becoming cost-competitive, Sartor said.
Sartor: “Coal is no longer as cheap as it is around the world.”
So, she said, there is an opportunity for the industry to switch to more clean energy and limit the impact of aluminum production on the climate.
Report Credit: Sarah Kennedy/Chavobart Digital Media
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