{"id":441874,"date":"2022-05-04T16:40:59","date_gmt":"2022-05-04T13:40:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/lithium-mining-needs-to-get-greener-for-evs-to-maintain-their-earth-cred\/"},"modified":"2022-05-04T16:40:59","modified_gmt":"2022-05-04T13:40:59","slug":"lithium-mining-needs-to-get-greener-for-evs-to-maintain-their-earth-cred","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/lithium-mining-needs-to-get-greener-for-evs-to-maintain-their-earth-cred\/","title":{"rendered":"#Lithium mining needs to get greener for EVs to maintain their earth cred"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a301fca29cca\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a301fca29cca\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/lithium-mining-needs-to-get-greener-for-evs-to-maintain-their-earth-cred\/#%E2%80%9CLithium_mining_needs_to_get_greener_for_EVs_to_maintain_their_earth_cred%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Lithium mining needs to get greener for EVs to maintain their earth cred&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/lithium-mining-needs-to-get-greener-for-evs-to-maintain-their-earth-cred\/#What_is_lithium\" >What is lithium?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/lithium-mining-needs-to-get-greener-for-evs-to-maintain-their-earth-cred\/#What_is_lithium_used_for\" >What is lithium used for?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/lithium-mining-needs-to-get-greener-for-evs-to-maintain-their-earth-cred\/#Where_does_lithium_come_from\" >Where does lithium come from?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/lithium-mining-needs-to-get-greener-for-evs-to-maintain-their-earth-cred\/#How_is_it_mined\" >How is it mined?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/lithium-mining-needs-to-get-greener-for-evs-to-maintain-their-earth-cred\/#But_unfortunately_there_are_downsides\" >But unfortunately, there are downsides:\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/lithium-mining-needs-to-get-greener-for-evs-to-maintain-their-earth-cred\/#Is_there_a_greener_way\" >Is there a greener way?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CLithium_mining_needs_to_get_greener_for_EVs_to_maintain_their_earth_cred%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Lithium mining needs to get greener for EVs to maintain their earth cred&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n                            <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s plenty of column inches given to the environmental advantages of electric vehicles, like reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emission. But there\u2019s a salty little secret often obscured by those who wax lyrical about EVs \u2014 the environmental impact of the lithium mined to make EV batteries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So I decided to take a deep dive into what it is, where it comes from, how it\u2019s mined, its environmental impact, and what we can do to make it greener.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And don\u2019t worry \u2014 no geology degree is needed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_lithium\"><\/span><strong>What is lithium?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lithium is a naturally occurring substance found in ionic minerals such as petalite, lepidolite, and spodumene. These minerals occur primarily in two places: rock formations, or underground brine reservoirs.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1386006 js-lazy\" alt=\"lithium salt mins\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Lithium_mine_Salar_del_Hombre_Muerto_Argentina.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Lithium_mine_Salar_del_Hombre_Muerto_Argentina.jpeg 720w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Lithium_mine_Salar_del_Hombre_Muerto_Argentina-280x187.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Lithium_mine_Salar_del_Hombre_Muerto_Argentina-203x135.jpeg 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Lithium_mine_Salar_del_Hombre_Muerto_Argentina-405x270.jpeg 405w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fshift-basics%2F2022%2F05%2F04%2Fthe-environmental-impact-of-lithium-mining%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Satellite images of the Salar del Hombre Muerto, Argentina salt flats that are rich in lithium. The lithium-rich brine is concentrated by pumping it into solar evaporation ponds. Credit: Wikipedia\u00a0\" data-title=\"Share Satellite images of the Salar del Hombre Muerto, Argentina salt flats that are rich in lithium. The lithium-rich brine is concentrated by pumping it into solar evaporation ponds. Credit: Wikipedia\u00a0 on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Satellite images of the Salar del Hombre Muerto, Argentina salt flats that are rich in lithium. The lithium-rich brine is concentrated by pumping it into solar evaporation ponds. Credit: Wikipedia\u00a0 on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>Satellite images of the Salar del Hombre Muerto, Argentina salt flats that are rich in lithium. The lithium-rich brine is concentrated by pumping it into solar evaporation ponds. Credit: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lithium\">Wikipedia<\/a>\u00a0<\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1386006\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Lithium_mine_Salar_del_Hombre_Muerto_Argentina.jpeg\" alt=\"lithium salt mins\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Lithium_mine_Salar_del_Hombre_Muerto_Argentina.jpeg 720w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Lithium_mine_Salar_del_Hombre_Muerto_Argentina-280x187.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Lithium_mine_Salar_del_Hombre_Muerto_Argentina-203x135.jpeg 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Lithium_mine_Salar_del_Hombre_Muerto_Argentina-405x270.jpeg 405w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_lithium_used_for\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>What is lithium used for?<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lithium is most known as an ingredient in rechargeable batteries. These include those that power medical devices, mobile phones, computers, power tools, and far more besides. It is also found in hybrid and all-electric cars, buses, ferries, drones and, occasionally, airplane batteries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ihsmarkit.com\/research-analysis\/lithiumion-battery-materials-evolve-suppliers-face-new-challenges.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IHS Markit<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, in 2000, about 9% of lithium produced was used for batteries. By 2020, this share rose to 66%, and it\u2019s forecasted to reach over 90% by 2030.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For some context, a fully electric vehicle (such as a Tesla Model S) contains an estimated 63kg of lithium.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_does_lithium_come_from\"><\/span><strong>Where does lithium come from?\u00a0<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1386008 size-full js-lazy\" alt=\"world wide lithium production\" width=\"768\" height=\"496\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Map-of-lithium-resource-availability-and-geostrategic-impacts-own-works-on-a-base-map-by.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Map-of-lithium-resource-availability-and-geostrategic-impacts-own-works-on-a-base-map-by.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Map-of-lithium-resource-availability-and-geostrategic-impacts-own-works-on-a-base-map-by-280x181.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Map-of-lithium-resource-availability-and-geostrategic-impacts-own-works-on-a-base-map-by-209x135.png 209w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Map-of-lithium-resource-availability-and-geostrategic-impacts-own-works-on-a-base-map-by-418x270.png 418w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fshift-basics%2F2022%2F05%2F04%2Fthe-environmental-impact-of-lithium-mining%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Map of global lithium deposits and extraction. Credit: Research gate\" data-title=\"Share Map of global lithium deposits and extraction. Credit: Research gate on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Map of global lithium deposits and extraction. Credit: Research gate on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>Map of global lithium deposits and extraction. Credit: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/figure\/Map-of-lithium-resource-availability-and-geostrategic-impacts-own-works-on-a-base-map-by_fig8_241756900\">Research gate<\/a><\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1386008 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Map-of-lithium-resource-availability-and-geostrategic-impacts-own-works-on-a-base-map-by.png\" alt=\"world wide lithium production\" width=\"768\" height=\"496\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Map-of-lithium-resource-availability-and-geostrategic-impacts-own-works-on-a-base-map-by.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Map-of-lithium-resource-availability-and-geostrategic-impacts-own-works-on-a-base-map-by-280x181.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Map-of-lithium-resource-availability-and-geostrategic-impacts-own-works-on-a-base-map-by-209x135.png 209w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Map-of-lithium-resource-availability-and-geostrategic-impacts-own-works-on-a-base-map-by-418x270.png 418w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubs.usgs.gov\/periodicals\/mcs2022\/mcs2022-lithium.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the US Geological Survey data, Australia is the biggest miner of lithium, with the majority coming from <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.ga.gov.au\/data-pubs\/data-and-publications-search\/publications\/aimr\/lithium\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hard rock ores<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> located at <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.talisonlithium.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Greenbushes Projects<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This is the world\u2019s largest single lithium reserve.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following that is what\u2019s known as the \u201cLithium Triangle of South America\u201d \u2014 made up of Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1386030 size-featured_img js-lazy\" alt=\"Boilivian salt lithium mine\" width=\"796\" height=\"597\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 796px) 100vw, 796px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/5455738435_1d63c67ca1_b-796x597.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/5455738435_1d63c67ca1_b-796x597.jpeg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/5455738435_1d63c67ca1_b-280x210.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/5455738435_1d63c67ca1_b-180x135.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/5455738435_1d63c67ca1_b-360x270.jpeg 360w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/5455738435_1d63c67ca1_b-368x276.jpeg 368w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/5455738435_1d63c67ca1_b-736x552.jpeg 736w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/5455738435_1d63c67ca1_b.jpeg 1024w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fshift-basics%2F2022%2F05%2F04%2Fthe-environmental-impact-of-lithium-mining%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: The salt flats in Bolivia. Credit: psyberartist\" data-title=\"Share The salt flats in Bolivia. Credit: psyberartist on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share The salt flats in Bolivia. Credit: psyberartist on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>The salt flats in Bolivia. Credit: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/openverse\/image\/e36813be-bd4c-4177-a3b3-e2a7b2c6d542\">psyberartist<\/a><\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1386030 size-featured_img\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/5455738435_1d63c67ca1_b-796x597.jpeg\" alt=\"Boilivian salt lithium mine\" width=\"796\" height=\"597\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/5455738435_1d63c67ca1_b-796x597.jpeg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/5455738435_1d63c67ca1_b-280x210.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/5455738435_1d63c67ca1_b-180x135.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/5455738435_1d63c67ca1_b-360x270.jpeg 360w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/5455738435_1d63c67ca1_b-368x276.jpeg 368w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/5455738435_1d63c67ca1_b-736x552.jpeg 736w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/5455738435_1d63c67ca1_b.jpeg 1024w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The region hosts more lithium than Australia, but mines less. It benefits from geological conditions that create lithium-rich salt flats. One of the primary extraction sources is in the Salar de Atacama (Chile), immersed in the Atacama Desert (the driest in the world). Another is the Salar del Hombre Muerto salt flat in Argentina.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Third on the list is China, with most of the country\u2019s lithium coming from the Chang Tang plain in western Tibet. However, China is lagging behind in extraction, as the nation imports a lot of lithium from Australia.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lithium mining also occurs to a lesser extent in various places, including <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usgs.gov\/data\/lithium-deposits-united-states\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">North America<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.miningreview.com\/battery-metals\/ghana-set-to-become-first-west-african-lithium-producer\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Africa<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mining.com\/web\/how-portuguese-lithium-could-fuel-europes-ev-revolution\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Portugal<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_is_it_mined\"><\/span><strong>How is it mined?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are two main ways depending on where the source of lithium is.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Rock mining:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1386040 js-lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"998\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Talisoncrushedlithiumoreonconveyor.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Talisoncrushedlithiumoreonconveyor.jpeg 1500w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Talisoncrushedlithiumoreonconveyor-280x186.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Talisoncrushedlithiumoreonconveyor-203x135.jpeg 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Talisoncrushedlithiumoreonconveyor-406x270.jpeg 406w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Talisoncrushedlithiumoreonconveyor-796x530.jpeg 796w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fshift-basics%2F2022%2F05%2F04%2Fthe-environmental-impact-of-lithium-mining%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Rock mined lithium. Credit: Talison Lithium\" data-title=\"Share Rock mined lithium. Credit: Talison Lithium on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Rock mined lithium. Credit: Talison Lithium on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>Rock mined lithium. Credit: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.talisonlithium.com\/\">Talison Lithium<\/a><\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1386040\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Talisoncrushedlithiumoreonconveyor.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"998\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Talisoncrushedlithiumoreonconveyor.jpeg 1500w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Talisoncrushedlithiumoreonconveyor-280x186.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Talisoncrushedlithiumoreonconveyor-203x135.jpeg 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Talisoncrushedlithiumoreonconveyor-406x270.jpeg 406w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Talisoncrushedlithiumoreonconveyor-796x530.jpeg 796w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In rock mining, solid rock is drilled and blasted, then crushed. Following that, the lithium is separated from the rest of the rock using chemicals and heat.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is the most common form of mining in Australia and the US.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Salt extraction:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In salt extraction, lithium comes from underground reservoirs in lakes where salty water is pumped into a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series<\/a> of shallow ponds and left to evaporate for 12 to 18 months.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is then subject to several chemical treatments to leave behind the \u201cwhite gold\u201d lithium.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1386009 js-lazy\" alt=\"underwater lithium mining\" width=\"1024\" height=\"321\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/4-1024x321-1.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/4-1024x321-1.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/4-1024x321-1-280x88.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/4-1024x321-1-270x85.jpeg 270w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/4-1024x321-1-540x169.jpeg 540w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/4-1024x321-1-796x250.jpeg 796w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fshift-basics%2F2022%2F05%2F04%2Fthe-environmental-impact-of-lithium-mining%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: How lithium is sourced from salt mines. Credit: Cornish Lithium.\" data-title=\"Share How lithium is sourced from salt mines. Credit: Cornish Lithium. on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share How lithium is sourced from salt mines. Credit: Cornish Lithium. on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>How lithium is sourced from salt mines. Credit: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cornishlithium.com\/\">Cornish Lithium<\/a>.<\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1386009\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/4-1024x321-1.jpeg\" alt=\"underwater lithium mining\" width=\"1024\" height=\"321\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/4-1024x321-1.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/4-1024x321-1-280x88.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/4-1024x321-1-270x85.jpeg 270w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/4-1024x321-1-540x169.jpeg 540w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/4-1024x321-1-796x250.jpeg 796w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South America, China, and Africa favor the salt extraction method.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"But_unfortunately_there_are_downsides\"><\/span><strong>But unfortunately, there are downsides:\u00a0<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mining from salt mines is water-intensive. It takes 8 million liters (500,000 gallons) of water to produce one-ton of lithium.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0According to the <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instituteforenergyresearch.org\/renewable\/the-environmental-impact-of-lithium-batteries\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Institute of Energy Research<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, mining companies in Chile\u2019s Salar de Atacama, one of the driest places on earth, use 65% of the region\u2019s water.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Removing the brine lowers the water table, <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/eandt.theiet.org\/content\/articles\/2019\/08\/lithium-firms-are-depleting-vital-water-supplies-in-chile-according-to-et-analysis\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">threatening supplies needed for drinking and irrigation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lithium mining uses toxic chemicals which can contaminate streams, crops, local ecosystems and <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ejatlas.org\/conflict\/a-sudden-mass-death-of-fish-in-the-lichu-river-in-minyak-lhagang-dartsedo-county-in-karze-prefecture\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wildlife<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The isolated locations can be home to endangered <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clickondetroit.com\/news\/politics\/2022\/02\/04\/us-backs-rare-flower-habitat-amid-nevada-lithium-mine-fight\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">flora<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, like the rare desert wildflower Tiehm\u2019s buckwheat in the Silver Peak, Nevada.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mining operations in Salar de Atacama are linked <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to the decline of two threatened flamingo species<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> residing in the basin.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is also what researchers call \u201c<\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0962629821000421\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the colonial shadow of green electromobility,<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d which is the impact <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lithium mining has on the local environment and inhabitants in Latin America. They assert that lithium mining replicates the historical inequalities between the Northern and Southern hemispheres, especially impacting indigenous Andean territories.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_there_a_greener_way\"><\/span><strong>Is there a greener way?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fortunately, yes. Two prominent players in the efforts to green lithium mining are Australian startup <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/v-er.eu\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vulcan<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, working in Southern Germany, and <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cornishlithium.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cornish Lithium<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the UK.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both are working to extract lithium in the respective regions\u2019 deep thermal waters with a net-zero carbon footprint.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The process draws on naturally occurring, renewable geothermal energy to power the lithium extraction renewable energy by-product. Deeper waters are significantly hotter than at a shallower depth. This creates the potential for the use of geothermal waters to produce zero-carbon electricity as well as heat. This electricity could power a lithium extraction planet extract lithium from the same waters.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, Cornish Lithium is planning to directly extract the lithium from the fluids in a processing plant that\u2019ll have a footprint the size of a supermarket or medium-sized industrial unit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s not all plain sailing though, as both companies are still in the early stages of exploration. It\u2019s also unclear whether the methodology would scale to other current lithium mining regions \u2014 but at least it\u2019s a step in the right direction.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Electric batteries will be a valuable source of energy in the next few decades. The challenge is to make their ingredients sustainable, but also ensure that currently circulating lithium experiences a full lifecycle and is recycled in a way that doesn\u2019t adversely impact the planet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lithium-ion batteries aren\u2019t going away any time soon, and we can expect to see further R&amp;D in their chemistry, utility, and after-life impact. Let\u2019s just hope it\u2019s not too little too late.<\/span>\n                        <\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/the-environmental-impact-of-lithium-mining\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Lithium mining needs to get greener for EVs to maintain their earth cred&#8221; There\u2019s plenty of column inches given to the environmental advantages of electric vehicles, like reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emission. But there\u2019s a salty little secret often obscured by those who wax lyrical about EVs \u2014 the environmental impact of the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":441875,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/05\/Untitled-design-76.png&signature=33c585bd54f65bf8b28b66a00bf48abf","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-441874","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/441874","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=441874"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/441874\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/441875"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=441874"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=441874"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=441874"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}