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grebc a day ago

Modern lithium batteries or solar panels for that matter don’t get magiced out of nothing.

Those materials are mined also. At least forethought is given to handling/disposal for nuclear since it’s a known issue.

wolvoleo 20 hours ago | parent [-]

Well yes but lithium is easily recycled and solar panels are made from sand and nowhere near rare earth.

See how the soviets destroyed half the Czech countryside looking for Uranium for their bombs and power plants: https://www.rferl.org/a/soviet-uranium-mines-explored-abando...

Uranium mining is a dirty business and if we're going to be needing a lot more of it due to expansion of nuclear and leaving the mining to the lowest bidder it will be very polluting.

grebc 8 hours ago | parent [-]

I think it’s pretty questionable to suggest it’s easy to recycle, hence the mining of the material isn’t of consequence.

And if we’re just being offhanded then apparently thorium is a replacement for uranium, or there’s the ability to reprocess used fuel again for nuclear power.