The Briefing Room
General Category => Science, Technology and Knowledge => Topic started by: rangerrebew on June 15, 2021, 08:19:11 pm
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Lithium mining for electric vehicle batteries is harming indigenous groups in Arizona
06/15/2021 / By Virgilio Marin
A government-backed push to mine lithium in western Arizona is compromising the ability of indigenous groups in the area to freely practice their religion.
Australian company Hawkstone Mining Ltd. has been conducting exploratory drilling in the Big Sandy River Valley under the auspices of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The valley is home to several sacred sites on public land, including culturally significant hot springs. But it also holds an enormous lithium deposit.
Lithium is an essential component of the batteries that power many electric vehicles and electronic devices. Listed as a critical mineral, it is needed to achieve the Biden administration’s goal of replacing gas-powered cars with electric vehicles.
https://www.pollution.news/2021-06-15-lithium-mining-electric-vehicle-indigenous-groups-arizona.html
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Wait, I was told by people here that all the lithium comes from China. Which is it?
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Wait, I was told by people here that all the lithium comes from China. Which is it?
China is the dominate source of lithium, not the only source
Anyway the irony here is stunning. Push EVs to help the environment but don't mine the material needed to help said environment.
Mining of any kind has been frowned upon by environmentalists for years. And drilling. And dams. Just about any primary energy source is a no-no.
It’s always something.
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From the article:
"Lithium is an essential component of the batteries that power many electric vehicles and electronic devices. Listed as a critical mineral..."
If lithium is indeed "a critical" mineral, then we shouldn't be wasting it by using so much of it for the production of giant disposable batteries to go into vehicles, of all things (vehicles which can be better-powered through other resources, such as petroleum).
We should save and husband its mining and resource development for other applications in which it is indeed, "critical"...
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From the article:
"Lithium is an essential component of the batteries that power many electric vehicles and electronic devices. Listed as a critical mineral..."
If lithium is indeed "a critical" mineral, then we shouldn't be wasting it by using so much of it for the production of giant disposable batteries to go into vehicles, of all things (vehicles which can be better-powered through other resources, such as petroleum).
We should save and husband its mining and resource development for other applications in which it is indeed, "critical"...
Lithium is the 25th abundant element in the earth's crust - hardly rare. Also, your statement assumes that the lithium in the batteries is not recoverable.
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China is the dominate source of lithium, not the only source
Anyway the irony here is stunning. Push EVs to help the environment but don't mine the material needed to help said environment.
Mining of any kind has been frowned upon by environmentalists for years. And drilling. And dams. Just about any primary energy source is a no-no.
It’s always something.
Yeah, the leftists apparently want all manufacturing in China. I'm not sure what marketable service they think they have left after China has stolen all the intellectual property and is the sole source of all manufacturing. I mean I can't believe there will be much of an international market for woke bullshit.
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How.
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Wait, I was told by people here that all the lithium comes from China. Which is it?
Apparently some comes from MY COUNTY. Mohave. Huh.
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Apparently some comes from MY COUNTY. Mohave. Huh.
I've actually heard Elon Musk talking about there being huge lithium deposits in the Southwest US.
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I've actually heard Elon Musk talking about there being huge lithium deposits in the Southwest US.
I looked this up. Big Sandy is, like other Lithium extraction operations, a strip mine. This will be inside the US for everyone to see, and we have Native Americans pizzed because there are holy sites near. That's the "harm" referred to in the headline.
And yup! In my County, where it abuts La Paz county.
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I looked this up. Big Sandy is, like other Lithium extraction operations, a strip mine. This will be inside the US for everyone to see, and we have Native Americans pizzed because there are holy sites near. That's the "harm" referred to in the headline.
And yup! In my County, where it abuts La Paz county.
Here is Musk talking about how Lithium is abundant (says it's the third most common element in the universe, but I think he's wrong on that) and how lithium ion battery cells only contain about 2% lithium.
https://youtu.be/Vypl_LQBARE
And here's an article discussing 10,000 acres they bought in Nevada to mine lithium:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/tesla-purchases-claim-on-lithium-clay-deposits-in-nevada/ar-BB19mh05
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Here is Musk talking about how Lithium is abundant (says it's the third most common element in the universe, but I think he's wrong on that) and how lithium ion battery cells only contain about 2% lithium.
https://youtu.be/Vypl_LQBARE
And here's an article discussing 10,000 acres they bought in Nevada to mine lithium:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/tesla-purchases-claim-on-lithium-clay-deposits-in-nevada/ar-BB19mh05
It would be interesting to know where in Nevada those 10K acres are.
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Wait, I was told by people here that all the lithium comes from China. Which is it?
@BassWrangler @Potluck
(https://i.postimg.cc/rmD19y5m/Capture.jpg)
https://www.statista.com/statistics/268789/countries-with-the-largest-production-output-of-lithium/
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@BassWrangler @Potluck
(https://i.postimg.cc/rmD19y5m/Capture.jpg)
https://www.statista.com/statistics/268789/countries-with-the-largest-production-output-of-lithium/
Thanks, @thackney . Useful info as always. I should have said "I was told only China has lithium deposits". My point is it's found in the US too, we're just not mining it yet. Of course, it matters what form the lithium is in. With some compounds, it will be prohibitively expensive to extract the lithium.
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Thanks, @thackney . Useful info as always. I should have said "I was told only China has lithium deposits". My point is it's found in the US too, we're just not mining it yet. Of course, it matters what form the lithium is in. With some compounds, it will be prohibitively expensive to extract the lithium.
In the 1960s, Foote pioneered the production of lithium carbonate from brine with the opening of the Silver Peak, NV plant. In 1984, the world’s richest commercial brine deposit went on stream at Salar de Atacama in the desert of northern Chile. Today, the Silver Peak and Salar de Atacama plants combine to produce in excess of 60 m mt of lithium carbonate equivalents per year. In addition to lithium carbonate, Albemarle produces in Silver Peak special lithium hydroxide grades.
https://www.albemarle.com/businesses/lithium/locations/north-america/nevada-silver-peak
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In the 1960s, Foote pioneered the production of lithium carbonate from brine with the opening of the Silver Peak, NV plant. In 1984, the world’s richest commercial brine deposit went on stream at Salar de Atacama in the desert of northern Chile. Today, the Silver Peak and Salar de Atacama plants combine to produce in excess of 60 m mt of lithium carbonate equivalents per year. In addition to lithium carbonate, Albemarle produces in Silver Peak special lithium hydroxide grades.
https://www.albemarle.com/businesses/lithium/locations/north-america/nevada-silver-peak
I wonder if that's the 10,000 acres that Tesla bought.
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I wonder if that's the 10,000 acres that Tesla bought.
I believe they are focused on a different mining source and technology that does not consume so much water.
https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=e1007ab0-c378-424b-bba6-4ba866bef7ba
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tesla-batteryday-lithium/teslas-nevada-lithium-plan-faces-stark-obstacles-on-path-to-production-idUSKCN26E3G1
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The tree huggers have traded drilling for mining.
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The tree huggers have traded drilling for mining.
Not just "mining," but "strip mining." Exactly the thing liberals have been bellyaching about since the 60's.
The mine discussed in the OT in my County is a strip mine. I've seen them before, mainly copper mines.
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It would be interesting to know where in Nevada those 10K acres are.
If any of it contributes to America being independent of China you bet the answer to that question is a newly designated, by JoBama, federal preserve for some previously unknown insignificant weed, insect or vermin.
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It would be interesting to know where in Nevada those 10K acres are.
@Smokin Joe
The closest I could track it down is Humboldt County, Nevada. IIRC it is involved in some lawsuit from an eco-weenie over an endangered twig or something, so it may be possible to get a specific location via court records, but I have not done so.