EDIT: Just because you can see crunky white stuff from the sky doesn't mean you have a lithium mine on your hands! :-)

So, recycling for example needs to be a net gain when adjusting for externality's not just a pointless feel good measure. Eco homes are another pointless waste. Want to save the environment live in a condo.

Basically, you can do what you want with your land, but don't hurt other peoples air, water, etc.

PS: Needless to say, rarely do I find people with similar viewpoints.

A significant amount of the total lifetime energy usage of a car is made up by it's manufacture. It is not trivial to say you should always buy something new and more efficient.

Put bluntly: if I'm the battery manufacturer, my main goal is a profitable operation, not the end-user's ecological footprint.

If having to "just boil it" means I lose money on the product, then I don't have a business.