12V Freezer?

[user 22017]

Water is a highly renewable resource that ends up recycling itself.

If you really want to minimize the environmentally negative effects of your lifestyle, I'd start with paring all forms of energy use and material consumption to the minimum. Being a van-dwelling vagabond can be a good start. Refrigeration is luxury, not a necessity. It's also quite possible to be motor tramp and live in climates where both heat and cooling of any kind are unnecessary, and drive only a couple thousand miles per year. A bicycle can suffice for short trips... etc.

Not sure about that with water and mining. See:

Environmental effects of mining > Water pollution​

Aside from driving a F-250, I have already pared down my energy use and material consumption. I subscribe to The Church of Stop Shopping It's a real thing. Everyone needs to stop shopping imo.

Do you mean living in a vehicle is a good start or van-dwelling specifically?

I know refrigeration is a luxury. That is why I don't want a large frig.

I know about staying at high elevation in the summer and the southwest in the winter.

Not everyone can ride a bike... or walk. I can't... unless I get total knee replacement. Hoping if I lose weight, I can avoid knee replacement.

 

[tradesman]

If you look at the engel power consumption charts on their webpage, the smaller 14qt unit actually uses more power than the 45qt at certain temperatures. So I don't think just because int is a smaller unit it will use less power.

 

[user 22017]

If you look at the engel power consumption charts on their webpage, the smaller 14qt unit actually uses more power than the 45qt at certain temperatures.

$1,099.99 for a 14 qt. frig? I'll compare the 20 liter Alpicool with the larger Alpicool's. Thanks

 

[user 22017]

If you look at the engel power consumption charts on their webpage, the smaller 14qt unit actually uses more power than the 45qt at certain temperatures. So I don't think just because int is a smaller unit it will use less power.

You're right! Thanks.

https://www.alpicool.cc/blogs/faqs/how-many-watts-does-alpicool-fridge-use

 

[Happy Camper]

I think the most environmentally smart thing to do is make a generating bicycle from bamboo like the professor. That man knew how to do things the right way.

 

[user 22017]

You joke, but I already looked those up Not bamboo, tho.

I first saw crank flashlights and weather radios in the camping section of K-Mart or Wal-Mart about 30 years ago. Still think they are pretty nifty.

 

[eliyama]

The math on this doesn't work, since insulation and cooling are never at 100%. The only way this would be useful is if you wanted to put gel packs in a smaller more portable ice chest for day-trips instead of carrying around a big ice chest. Or for putting in a lunch box to keep the items cool.

Your going to be gaining heat in the portable ice chest/lunch box much faster than you are able to cool them off in your portable freezer.

Additionally you are going to be losing quite a bit of storage space because you will have to double up your ice chests and coolers...

The freezer will have to keep running to constantly be re-freezing the gel packs or to keep them frozen. The freezer will be gaining heat constantly as well (although in small amounts). If this was not the case, then you would be able to put some ice in an ice-chest and come back 2 weeks later and have the same amount of ice... I look forward to the day when we can have almost 100% efficient insulation. The more efficient your insulation the less your compressor (heat transfer pump) needs to work to pump excess heat out of your cooler to keep it cold/frozen.

It is estimated that 500,000 gallons of water is used to mine one metric ton of lithium.[9] With the world's leading country in production of lithium being Chile,[10] the lithium mines are in rural areas with an extremely diverse ecosystem.[11] In Chile’s Salar de Atacama, one of the driest places on earth, about 65% of the water is used to mine lithium; leaving many of the local farmers and members of the community to find water elsewhere.[12][13] <snip> The work is in very dangerous conditions with children as young as seven participating.[14] Additionally, it is common for locals to be in conflict with the surrounding lithium mines. There have been many accounts of dead animals and ruined farms in the surrounding areas of many of these mines. In Tagong, a small town in Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture China, there are records of dead fish and large animals floating down some of the rivers near the Tibetan mines. After further investigation, researchers found that this may have been caused by leakage of evaporation pools that sit for months and sometimes even years.[15]

While lithium ion batteries can be used as a part of sustainable solution, shifting all fossil fuel-powered devices to lithium based batteries might not be the Earth's best option. There is no scarcity yet, but it is a natural resource that can be depleted.[16] According to researchers at Voltswagon, there are about 14 million tons of lithium left, which corresponds to 165 times the production volume in 2018.[17] [Think they meant www.volkswagenag.com]

From:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impacts_of_lithium-ion_batteries

And:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/rrapie...id-and-lithium-ion-batteries/?sh=798f4ee7bf5e
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3021&context=stander_posters

It is estimated that 500,000 gallons of water is used to mine one metric ton of lithium.[9] With the world's leading country in production of lithium being Chile,[10] the lithium mines are in rural areas with an extremely diverse ecosystem.[11] In Chile’s Salar de Atacama, one of the driest places on earth, about 65% of the water is used to mine lithium; leaving many of the local farmers and members of the community to find water elsewhere.[12][13] <snip> The work is in very dangerous conditions with children as young as seven participating.[14] Additionally, it is common for locals to be in conflict with the surrounding lithium mines. There have been many accounts of dead animals and ruined farms in the surrounding areas of many of these mines. In Tagong, a small town in Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture China, there are records of dead fish and large animals floating down some of the rivers near the Tibetan mines. After further investigation, researchers found that this may have been caused by leakage of evaporation pools that sit for months and sometimes even years.[15]

While lithium ion batteries can be used as a part of sustainable solution, shifting all fossil fuel-powered devices to lithium based batteries might not be the Earth's best option. There is no scarcity yet, but it is a natural resource that can be depleted.[16] According to researchers at Voltswagon, there are about 14 million tons of lithium left, which corresponds to 165 times the production volume in 2018.[17] [Think they meant www.volkswagenag.com]

From:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impacts_of_lithium-ion_batteries

And:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/rrapie...id-and-lithium-ion-batteries/?sh=798f4ee7bf5e
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3021&context=stander_posters

Your assessment is correct. I invested in a Li extraction company and was appalled that less than 2% Li was extracted from the salt, the rest also useable. The Germans are being forced into alternative fuels by Green Party, at the same time shutting down all of its nuclear power plants (seven). the closed Indian Point nuclear plant provided 80% electricity for NY City. Solar is pushed in AZ, which makes zero sense for Intel, Honeywell, Raytheon industries. 80% of Phoenix electricity comes from Hoover Dam, and with the Colorado River drying, does not bode well for Valley Of The Sun. Yes, Li has been a boom for off roaders on wheels and homesteads but it is not Dense forms of energy needed for population centers where most humans congregate. But the overriding concern for the West is water, something that I have pondered since 1965 when I arrived in AZ. And it should be a concern for everyone considering that the corporations want to gain control of the sources and charge outrageous prices, as they already are for bottled water. The Palo Verde nuclear plan outside of Phoenix uses recycled water for cooling. I use Ray-O-Vac 2A alkaline batteries for my laptop mouse.

 

[AmargosaWayne]

Your assessment is correct. I invested in a Li extraction company and was appalled that less than 2% Li was extracted from the salt, the rest also useable.

I have mentioned the Silver Peak Lithium Mine before. I figured out how to give a virtual idea of the impact.

First image is Google's standard map view of the area.

Second image is the satellite image of the area.

That won't clean itself up.