California

In many articles about climate change California is the head of the class when it comes to going green. In recent years they closed down 6 nuclear powered plants and plan to close their last one in two years. The state leads in solar energy but there is a catch. During the day excess energy is sold on the grid to nearby states and then at night it is repurchased but the energy repurchased is often produced by fossil fuels. A new rule establishes that by 2035 all new cars and light truck will be zero emissions. This means many more solar farms. A recent article in Grist reports that most used solar panels are shipped to developing countries that have little electricity and weak environmental protections, to be reused or landfilled. Grist is an American non-profit online magazine founded in 1999 that publishes environmental news and commentary. Grist's tagline is "Climate. Justice. Solutions." There are no lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese or graphite mines in California since these would dirty up the ground water. The mining and processing of these metals is done elsewhere, mostly overseas in poor countries that have few restrictions. Some in America want the rest of the country to emulate California.