Scanning electron micrograph of a frozen, failed lithium metal battery showing the copper current collector , reacted lithium /electrolyte , gas cavities , shredded separator , and lithium trapped in separator. Image courtesy of National Renewable Energy Laboratory.says, “Lithium is a comparatively rare element, although it is found in many rocks and some brines, but always in very low concentrations.
Flavia Lamas, who serves as a tour guide for visitors to the the salt flats, remembers when a lithium company began exploring the area in 2010. “They told us lithium extraction would not affect our Mother Earth, but then they hit the water. They began draining the salt flat — our land began to degrade in just one month.”environmental assessments leave gaps in understanding the overall impact of large-scale exploitation. “This area is a watershed.
Some villagers support the economic growth brought about by the mines. On the road to Olaroz, the town of Susques has expanded rapidly due to mining. It has a modern secondary school, a pharmacy, two petrol stations, and a hotel. Dozens of houses are under construction. A hotel manager, Luis Ortega, says lithium has had a positive economic effect. “A laborer there makes more money than people in the city. It’s had a good impact on the community’s growth.
In the face of the sector’s economic boom and political repression, many believe that more lithium organisations will begin operating in the next year and that their voices will not be heard. “We are losing the fight,” says Chalabe. Flores asks the international community to consider its priorities. “Lithium is like a needle to extract the blood of our mother — and our mother will die. In 50 years, there will be nothing here.”The age-old fight over resources continues.
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