Amy Heidbreder

One thing I personally do a lot of is studying the health of our planet and the state of the climate. It’s a fascinating topic that seems to regularly be at the forefront of most news cycles. Politics aside, it’s easy to agree that our Earth should be cared for so that it continues to feed and provide for us for generations to come.

A lowering of emissions seems to be at the very core of the climate conversation, and part of that initiative, in part, regards moving from internal combustion engines to electric cars for the average commuter. I joked with my dad recently that my Bronco would be the last gas-powered car I ever buy.

“You think it will happen that fast,” he inquired.

“I think it will happen that fast,” I replied.

One major consideration for electric vehicle usage is battery life and disposal. Waste is as equally massive a climate concern as vehicle emissions. Think of all the fuel and energy that goes into making a product that we end up chucking. Then think of all the fuel and energy it takes to carry that product from our waste bin on the curb to where it ultimately winds up in a land fill, sometimes many, many miles away. I am going to dedicate an entire blog to waste one of these days, and battery waste is no exception to this conversation.

Meet a few organizations dedicated to research on the full life cycle of lithium-ion batteries.

Start Up Tackling Battery Recycling

Redwood Materials is one of many start ups racing to find a solution to the battery recycling problem EVs produce.

---

Organization Working on Fully Circular Battery Economy

Circunomics is a European start up working on developing a fully circular battery economy.

---

Government Projects

The US Department of Energy has invested $15 million into the ReCell Center and the United Kingdom has started the ReLiB project, both geared toward developing a more recyclable battery and circular battery economy.

---

A solution may not be here yet, but is hopefully coming. This type of work makes the future of electric vehicles and the climate seem more hopeful. The push for a better more recyclable battery is underway.

I’m trying to imagine a future where the move-in and move-out days of a horse show aren’t saturated by the smell of diesel exhaust and a cacophony of rumbling truck engines. Just imagine for a second, the sounds you hear at a show—roaring tractors, dually monster vehicles dragging a 6+ horse trailer onto show grounds, a runner in a Gator buzzing by to restock ice chests with bottles of water. What will the future of horse show sounds be?

It’s great to hear of organizations like the aforementioned making a difference in the full life cycle of a product and finding a way to give batteries life after they’re used. In a temporary world where we throw so much away, it’s nice to know there are organizations out there determined to change that.

Don’t we all need a little positivity in our lives? Check back regularly for new stories of hope, humor, cute animals, innovation and progress.