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Works Cited

CNN. www.cnn.com/2023/02/10/health/pollution-depression-seniors-wellness/index.html. Accessed 10 Feb. 2023.

CNN. www.cnn.com/2023/03/01/world/suv-cars-emissions-iea-climate-intl/index.html. Accessed 1 Mar. 2023.

Earth.org. Mar. 2023, earth.org/cobalt-mining-in-congo/.

"The Effects of Air Pollution." Newsela, 20 Apr. 2018, newsela.com/read/lib-air-pollution/id/42356/.

"EU Countries Approve Climate Laws, 2035 Fossil Fuel Car Ban." Aljazeera, 29 June 2022, www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/6/29/eu-countries-approve-climate-laws-2035-fossil-fuel-car-ban.

Gastelu, Gary. "The Chevrolet Spark Is Now the Only Car You Can Buy for under $15G." Fox News, 5 Jan. 2021, www.foxnews.com/auto/chevrolet-spark-only-car-under-15g.

Jr., Jeffrey Langley. "Langley: Cars Make Cities Worse." The Daily Utah Chronicle, 29 Mar. 2023, dailyutahchronicle.com/2023/03/29/langley-cars-infrastructure-environmental-health-costs/.

Neubauer, Ian. "'Insane' Lithium Price Bump Threatens EV Fix for Climate Change." Aljazeera, 7 July 2022, www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/7/7/lithiums-insane-costs-threaten-ev-fix-for-climate-change.

Newsela. 7 Nov. 2019, newsela.com/read/lib-automobile-assembly-line/id/56081/.

Plumer, Brad. "The Rapid Growth of Electric Cars Worldwide, in 4 Charts." Vox, 6 June 2016, www.vox.com/2016/6/6/11867894/electric-cars-global-sales.

"The Surprisingly Long History of Electric Cars." TED Talks, uploaded by Daniel Sperling and Gil Tal, Oct. 2021, www.ted.com/talks/daniel_sperling_and_gil_tal_the_surprisingly_long_history_of_electric_cars/transcript.

USA Today. 6 Feb. 2023, www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2023/02/06/air-pollution-linked-anxiety-depression-study/11172322002/. Accessed 6 Feb. 2023.

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Estimated growth of Electric Vehicle stock beginning in 2005 

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January 30th, 2018. Smog from pollutants in the Ozone caused by cars and factories covered Shanghai, China.

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Cars have many problems and it may appear as if everything we do just makes things worse, but that is not the case. Everyone can contribute to help lessen the impacts of cars and technology on the environment. To help reduce the demand of cobalt we can borrow electronic devices, recycle electronic devices, donate electronics, and learn how to repair them ourselves. In order to reduce air pollution people can walk, or bike to other places instead of driving in a car. It’s not just people like you and me taking action, but entire organizations. The EU has now introduced a plan in an attempt to 100% reduce C02 emissions by 2035. This also completely bans the sale of oil and diesel by 2035 in the EU. The EU’s plan is also meant to encourage other big polluters like the USA and China to reduce carbon emissions. Our actions are working. Just last year global electric cars sales were higher than $10,000,000 for the first time ever which is a 60% increase. This suggests that the tables are turning and more and more people are realizing the effects of carbon pollution. Almost 10% of all cars in America are electric, 20% of cars in the EU are electric, and over 25% of cars in China are electric. Sure electric cars may have their problems, but the switch to electric cars is a necessary one on the road to a cleaner Earth and a cleaner world.

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With the rise in global energy systems the cobalt market grew by 22% in 2022, and with it the electric car market. Huge car manufacturers like SUV’s have vastly increased their sales of electric vehicles. In 2022 over 50% of global electric car sales were SUV’s. In 2021 electric car sales doubled. Despite the high demand of electric cars, getting materials needed for electric vehicles like lithium has become increasingly hard due to increasing scarcities. Lithium now costs a whopping $78,000 per tonne. To add to the cost, countries and organizations like the USA, China, and the United Nations are all competing for land in the DRC which has led to a competitive market, as well as an expensive market. As a result of high car prices it makes it nearly impossible for many Americans to even buy a car. The average price paid for a vehicle in America is at a record high of $38,000 this is a 20% increase from 2015 for this reason buying a car is becoming more and more of a dream for many rather than a reality. Many mainstream brands like Honda and Ford don’t offer any vehicle for less than $20,000. Now the cheapest car on sale is the Chevrolet Spark that cost $14,395. These high prices further pressures the lower middle class into cutting costs on necessities.

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Carbon sources like SUV are one on the largest contributors to global warming and climate change. As of 2022 SUV’s have released roughly 1 billion tons of planet-warming carbon pollution. Due to carbon polluting companies like SUV the US Transportation Industry is the biggest carbon source in the country. According to The Daily Utah Chronicle, “A typical passenger car emits around 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. This carbon output, multiplied by the nearly 300 million registered vehicles in the United States, is just one reason why these machines pose real problems.” These widely used carbon polluting vehicles are a huge contributor to climate change and global warming. Electric cars also cause harm to the environment. Cobalt mining is a massive problem, for the environment in and around the mines. High concentrations of cobalt in toxic dumps have caused water pollution, destroyed crops, and “devastating landscapes”(Earth.org). Since Cobalt mines release terrible toxic chemicals it badly affects the wildlife around the mines. A resident from the Congo said “In this stream, the fish vanished long ago, killed by acids and waste from the mines”(Earth.org). Electric cars may be trying to solve the problem of pollution in cars, but electric cars end up making their own problems.

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Most cars are gasoline powered which can have devastating byproducts to humans. Pollution from cars can contribute to lung cancer and heart disease. When polluted air particles from cars get in our brain it can potentially drive stress hormones, and seeding inflammation which can further cause mental health problems and dementia. It doesn’t stop there air pollution from gas powered cars can even increase hospitalization for depression. These emissions from cars can even increase the chance of leukemia, infertility, and even premature death. Fossil fuels from cars can cause particle pollution (solid and liquid particles from cars, coal, ect.) If inhaled particle pollution can have terrible byproducts. They can get stuck to your lungs and can even cause cancer, stroke, heart attacks, irritation, or respiratory problems. Electric cars have their share of problems too. Cobalt is a special type of metal used in nearly every electric car. Cobalt is mainly mined in the DRC, and it has awful effects on the miners. The air around the cobalt mines have become toxic to breathe because they are full of dust and grit. However, it gets worse,
“Congo’s cobalt boom has been subject to modern-day slavery, human trafficking, and child labour”(Earth.org). Instead of addressing the issue companies ignore it and the global community acts like it isn’t happening which leaves miners helpless.

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Automobiles have a long history, but it all started in France in 1890 when the first car was invented. At first they were mainly used for street races, and were not very effective. However, changes were made to improve the vehicle. The engine was moved to the front of the car, and modern transmissions were added to affect how fast your car could go. In 1893 the first cars started showing up in the US with the first motor vehicle in Springfield, Massachusetts. By 1901 gasoline cars were being mass produced. Not long after Henry Ford came into the picture and created Ford Motor Company in 1903. Soon after in 1908 Ford created the Model T which quickly became a massive success, and in 1913 Ford introduced the first assembly line which revolutionized the automobile industry by reducing costs and time. 14 years later Ford became the world’s largest car manufacturer. Ford had produced 15 million Model T’s. From 1915 till 1970 internal combustion engines “ruled the roads”(TED Talks). After concerns about US oil were raised in the 1970’s there was a new interest in electric cars. Later in the 90’s the first hybrid electric car was made. Most recently in 2008 Tesla created the first lithium-ion powered Roadster that is 100% electric. In just over 100 years the car industry has changed and it continues to change as the world moves closer and closer to a greener world.