The Aluminum Paradox/Aluminum Industry: Environmental Integrity Project Report

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The Environmental Integrity Project (“EIP”) published a September 27th report titled:

The Aluminum Paradox: Vital for Clean Energy, but also a Major Source of Greenhouse Gases, Air and Water Pollution (“Report”)

The author of the Report is Nadia Steinzor of EIP.

The Report focuses on the key role of aluminum in the development of the clean energy industry.

As the Report notes:

. . . Lightweight and durable, the metal is a key component in solar panels and wind turbines, more efficient cars and planes, and longlasting construction materials.

Consequently, demand for aluminum is expected to be 40 percent higher in 2030 than in 2020.

The argued paradox:

. . . Yet the aluminum industry accounted for 1.2 billion tons of global greenhouse gases in 2021, the same amount as the energy used by over 150 million U.S. homes—and its contribution to climate change is only set to grow alongside demand.

The Report states:

• U.S. businesses, policymakers, and consumers must ensure that aluminum’s “green” credentials are balanced against its negative impacts.
• The aluminum industry must assess ways to reduce climate emissions to become part of a more sustainable economy.
• National and international climate policies should continue to push aluminum producers to reduce the industry’s environmental footprint.

The Report includes:

• Impacts of the mining-to-metal production chain
• Identifies opportunities for the industry to reduce climate emissions

Components of the Report include:

• Where Aluminum Comes From
• How We Use Aluminum
  • Clean Energy Systems
• Aluminum’s Heavy Environmental and Health Footprint
  • Bauxite Mining
  • Alumina Refining
  • Petcoke Refining
  • Aluminum Smelting
  • The Promise and Impacts of Secondary Aluminum
• Living with the Impacts: Case Studies
  • Jamaica: Mining for the Raw Material of Aluminum
  • Louisiana: The Dusty, Toxic Process of Refining Ore into Aluminum’s Main Ingredients
  • Texas: The Dirty Middleman in Aluminum Production
  • Kentucky: Pollution from the Final Phase of Aluminum Production
• Pollution Reduction Pathways
  • Rein in Climate Emissions
  • Update Federal Pollution Rules
  • Reduce Sulfur Dioxide Pollution
  • Recycle More, Use Less

A copy of the Report can be downloaded here.