Yup, cal and steve are right. Energy consumption during manufacturing and disposal are very much a thing. There is a term for it too! Academic types are calling it "Real Cost Analysis" - and it traces the path of a consumer product all the way down to raw material extraction, in addition to that they also make statements on the impact of such things on regional societies. I.E. African economic exploitation (not specifically motorcycle related, but a solid case point)
So when you measure up the amount of materials used and waste expelled by the lithium mining operation, and the local labor of such, the logistical efforts, et al. It's easy to determine that much of what we take for granted is having a rather negative impact in many categories.
A sure fire way to limit the negative impact of real costs. Is buying used. Something that already exists. Maintenance and Repair instead of replacement. Repurposing rather than recycling (not that recycling is bad, but it has real costs too!)
The notion that old stuff should be hauled off to a dump is part of the problem that brought us here.
While Trump is a damn tool (imho) who has systematically began dismantling the US government. One disturbing truth has come to light from his meetings with industry CEO's. That truth, is many americans lack the skill to make sh!t from scratch. Sure, teenagers these days are passing the math and reading exams to graduate high school. But such theorhetical knowledge is useless to a company that wants real skills and critical/analytical thinking. The companies don't want to invest in training an american workforce to manufacture things, because they'd have to start at point zero. Skills like "how to use a screwdriver"
That, and they've already invested in training a foreign workforce to use screwdrivers. Why would they want to do that again at 10 or 20 times the cost?!
That's a real can o worms there
