By Maurice Carter, Sustainable Newton Marketing & Communications Director We've gone from no one paying attention to the electric vehicle battery supply chain to everyone freaking out about it. Not long ago, nickel was a coin, cobalt was a paint color, and lithium was a drug used to treat certain mood disorders. You might have heard of lithium-ion batteries, but they weren't something sold from a rack in the checkout line at your drug store. Even if there was one inside your cellphone, you couldn't get inside to touch it. Electric vehicles (EVs) changed that. Or, rather, America's late-to-the-party-gotta-catch-up embrace of EVs coupled with global supply chain issues have made batteries fodder for headlines like these:
Locally, public reaction for and against Rivian's planned assembly plant near Rutledge, Georgia has placed an even sharper edge on concerns raised by global events like the war in Ukraine.
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By Dr. Marcus Pollard, Agricultural Educator & Young Farmer Advisor with Newton College & Career Academy Speaking from the lens of one of the agricultural education teachers at Newton College & Career Academy, we are consistently looking to connect things. We strive to connect our students with curriculum, our curriculum with industry, and our industries with students. Ultimately that’s what sustainability is, right? Connecting things with one another? Webster defines sustainable as : capable of being sustained. Well, what does Webster say about sustained? “Maintained at length without interruption or weakening." That’s what I’m talking about. I don’t want our student’s progress to be interrupted, and I certainly don’t want it to be weakened. I want the experiences our students have to strengthen them as individuals, therefore strengthening our curriculum and local industries. Much like any type of braided wire or rope, we believe the more experiences we can connect with a student, the stronger that student becomes. Our students hopefully become more sustainable when they come through our program. |
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