Lithium -- October 1, 2020

Re-posting:

Lithium:

• one will start seeing a lot of stories on lithium; shortages, high prices, etc. But one thing remains: at the end of the day there will be a surplus of lithium. It may be expensive until supply and demand even out, but there won't be any shortage.
• major supply shortage; link to Tsvetana Paraskova;
• lithium recovery from oil and gas produced after (including the Bakken); link here to ACS Energy Letters;
• shale boom could fuel batteries; link to Earth: The Science Behind the Headlines; 
• lithium: world class deposit, link to investingnews; 
• Nevada is home to the only operating lithium mine in the United States which is located in Clayton Valley, Esmeralda County. The mine has been in operation since 1967, employs 85 people, and produces lithium carbonate from evaporation ponds which concentrate the lithium.
  

Tesla: one step ahead; link here;

• failed to reach a deal with Cypress Development Corp., which focuses on extracting lithium from clay deposits in southwestern Nevada;
• Tesla has secured access to 10,000 acres of lithium-rich clay deposits in Nevada, and plans to use a new, “very sustainable way” of extracting the metal.
• announcement followed pledges from the car and battery maker to produce a cheaper, lower-cost battery, build a $25,000 electric car and eventually produce 20 million vehicles a year.
• also announced deal with Glencore for cobalt; huge need for cobalt; cobalt may be the "big problem," but lithium, probably not;
  

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Apple

iPad: new iPad Air "available in October." Apparently one can order it now, but no delivery date yet established? Base model, wi-fi only, 64 GB, $599; 256 GB, $749. Seeing all the apps that 6-y/o Sophia "needs" on her iPad for school, I highly recommend springing for the 256-GB model.   Pencil essential.

With regard to connectivity, I've learned to "do without." Of the three mobile devices I carry when traveling (an iPhone, an iPad, and a MacBook Air), only the iPhone has cellular in addition to wi-fi. One can find free wi-fi almost anywhere -- although more of a pain with "everything closed due to Chinese flu"; while driving I tend not to use my iPad or my laptop.

MacBook: if you need it for work, get the MacBook Pro 16", but for home use, college, or graduate degree, get the MacBook Air. 

If one travels a lot for business, one may be better off with the MacBook Air. My hunch: the MacBook Air will meet the needs for most business men and women. MacBook Air starts at $899. Buying "up" is a fairly significant jump in price: $1,199. With the latter one gets 512GB SSD storage vs only 256GB SSD storage in the less expensive model. With the "cloud" and peripheral hard drives, I'm not sure you have to have more built-in storage, but it is nice. It's hard to believe but I have only 125 GB on my "old" MacBook Air and it's close to maxed out even after "severe" management of storage.

College student: if your college student says a "MacBook Pro" is a must, a better deal: a MacBook Air, an iPad, and and  Pencil. Your college student will thank you.