The Daily Valet. - 2/16/23, Thursday
✔️ Ion the Prize
Thursday, February 16th Edition
By Cory Ohlendorf, Valet. Editor
How many items do we use each day with lithium ion batteries?
Today’s Big Story
We Need More Lithium
Ion the Prize ... ‘Lithium batteries are the new oil’
What doesn't have a rechargeable battery these days? I just found out that the last thing I use with a traditional AAA battery—my Quip toothbrush—is introducing a new, rechargeable model. Lithium ion batteries are the future and in the future, we're gonna need more lithium for those batteries.Global demand is expected to surge more than five-fold by 2030, Reuters reported on Wednesday, as more people opt for electric vehicles and energy storage systems. Demand for lithium batteries in the United States is expected to grow more than six times and translate into $55 billion per year by the end of the decade, but still the country is expected to depend on imports for supply, a report by public-private alliance Li-Bridge found.Alternatives such as aluminum air and solid-state batteries have shown some promise but we've yet to see them be produced and manufactured at scale. Some of the interesting and high-potential alternatives to Li-ion batteries are technologies around Hydrogen fuel cells, but they're reportedly loaded with safety concerns, along with production and and supply chain challenges. So, for now ... all eyes are on lithium. Which is why Elon Musk famously said, “Lithium batteries are the new oil.”And where does this century's black gold come from? Bolivia has the highest lithium reserves (around 21 Mn tonnes), followed by Argentina, the United States, Chile, Australia and China. The Washington Post recently went to Nevada (the only lithium mine currently open in the country), where the soft, silvery metal is extracted from watery, salty brines.The mine is currently producing about 1% of the world's lithium supply. Once the concentration of lithium is high enough, the slurry is filtered, dried and prepped for processing. That one plant produces around 5,000 metric tons of lithium a year—or enough to power about 80,000 electric vehicles. But that's just a drop in the bucket of global EV sales, which hit 7.8 million vehicles in 2022.
FYI:
Even before batteries, lithium had various uses. It was used in glass, grease, nuclear weapons and even medicine.
U.S. Could Be in Default by Summer
Here’s what that means for the average American
The U.S. government will run out of cash to pay its bills sometime between July and September unless Congress raises the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projected Wednesday. But the agency said the timing remained uncertain, and the government could find itself unable to meet its debt obligations even before July should it face a shortfall in income tax receipts.The estimate, released alongside the agency's outlook for the federal deficit and the economy for the next 10 years, comes as lawmakers brace for yet another fight over raising the debt ceiling—a necessary step so the government can continue paying its bills.The consequences of a default would impact all Americans, forcing higher home and auto loan rates and credit card payments, officials have warned. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said it would be “catastrophic … and it’s unlikely that the federal government would be able to issue payments to millions of Americans, including our military families and seniors who rely on Social Security.”
The U.S. Is Now Able to Check E-Passport Data
The U.S. required countries to embed RFID chips in passports back in 2006
When it comes to tech rollouts, you might say the American government takes a “better late than never” approach. Following that tradition, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed Wednesday that after 16 years, it has finally performed the necessary software upgrades to verify the cryptographic signatures stored in passport RFID chips.E-Passport chips cryptographically store all personally identifying data in an easily readable chip that is nearly impossible to tamper with or produce fraudulently. Since 2006, the U.S. has required Visa Waiver countries (those where citizens are able to easily visit the U.S. for 90 days) to include the chips in their passports. But, until this past June, CBP had no way to read them.And they're already working. Wired reports that so far the validation process has checked more than 3 million passports and has “contributed to the arrest” of a dozen or so people who were allegedly attempting to enter the U.S. with “fraudulent identification.” How many fraudulent passports were able to slip into the country during those 16 years of feet-dragging? Well, that remains unknown.
Meanwhile:
A seasonal increase in applications has lead to processing times of 8-11 weeks, so if you need to refresh your passport, do it early.
A Historic Joshua Tree Resort Was Just Restored
It's a Mecca for both Meditation and Modernism
In case you haven't heard, Modernism Week officially kicks off today in Palm Springs, California. Now in its 19th year, the annual festival celebrates (and aims to foster appreciation) for midcentury architecture, art and design.Collectors and enthusiasts descend on the desert town and, with booties over their shoes, tour a number of midcentury modern dwellings for a look at classic designs and rare, hard-to-find pieces. According to Dirt, one of the highlights of this year’s festival schedule is a walking tour of the historic Institute of Mentalphysics, also known as the Joshua Tree Retreat Center.The Institute was established in the 1940s and approached Frank Lloyd Wright to build their headquarters—who passed the assignment off to his oldest son, Lloyd Wright. The building, which was recently added to the National Register of Historic Places, was just restored by a high-end hospitality company for use as short-term rentals. Now known as The Bungalows, the three structures, which contain a total of 14 studio and one-bedroom suites, were treated to a sophisticated makeover deploying natural wood, organic textiles, and a palette of desert pastels.
Can't Make It?
Check out architecture and design consultant Dominic Bradbury's comprehensive and richly illustrated new book, Mid-Century Modern Furniture.
In Other News
How careful science and an adorable truffle-hunting dog combine to run the largest truffle farm in the country.
Have you heard about ...
A Weekend Challenge
3 Ways to Hang Your TV on your wall
Why should you hang your TV? Why not? Sure, you could stick it on a media console. But when it's mounted on your wall, it looks so much more intentional. Plus, it gives you an opportunity to get rid of all those wires and cords.“It looks so much cleaner—and having a more serene environment can lead to a heap of other benefits like giving you more mental clarity, feelings of ease, the list goes on and on,” says interior designer Kerry Vasquez. “Also, by hanging the TV on the wall, it frees up room below it to add more decorative and attractive elements to further create the aesthetic you're after.”
Get Started:
Shopping
What We’re Buying
cult-favorite skincare
If you're going to pay for high-end skincare, you want it to work, right? This isn't just about pretty packaging and nice smells. Ranavat has been building a solid reputation over the past few years with their cult-favorite skincare rooted in the philosophy of Ayurveda. Their new overnight product is a bi-weekly treatment that's clinically proven to deliver results. The thick purple-hued balm is packed with powerhouse ingredients that have been found to strengthen the skin barrier, reduce redness and fine lines while combating the effects of stress on the skin. In other words, you put this on before bed and wake up looking rested, hydrated and a lot less irritated. If you've never used a skincare product that delivered instant overnight results, this can be your first.
Get It:
Restoring Moonseed overnight treatment, $125 by Ranavat
Morning Motto
See things through to the end.
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