Tracks In Bauxite Waste

Gramercy, Louisiana, USA

Aluminum, strong and lightweight, vital for airplanes, computers, wiring, cookware and soda cans, is the most common metal in the earth's crust, though it is never found in a free state. Refining the metal from its ores is a complex process with numerous environmental impacts. The tremendous amount of electricity used has its own repercussion and the chemical reaction releases significant greenhouse gases and produces large volumes of solid waste which is extremely caustic.

Aluminum refining consumes about 15,700 kilowatt hours of electricity per metric ton of metal produced. Since about 70 percent of electricity made in the USA is produced by burning fossil fuels, production of this metal is inextricably tied to carbon energy. This image shows aluminum refining red mud waste, a toxic disposal problem containing heavy metals and other contaminants.

This is the same toxic waste that spilled in Hungary in 2010, killing up to 8 people, destroying parts of 3 villages, and poisoning the Danube. In 2015, this facility released 2,808 pounds of mercury and 293,615 pounds of lead.