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This is amazing development taking in consideration how devastating classic lithium mining can be for surrounding nature. https://www.wired.co.uk/article/lithiu

This is amazing development taking in consideration how devastating classic lithium mining can be for surrounding nature. https://www.wired.co.uk/article/lithium-batteries-environment-impact https://www.wired.co.uk/article/lithium-batteries-environmen... At the same time by this method lithium it can become available almost for all countries on the planet (minus 45 that do not have sea).

clcaev 5y ago
If only the price if lithium mined in these ways included the a tax for these environmental externalities.
- FranchuFranchu 5y ago
  I don't think Argentina, Chile, or Bolivia's governments will increase taxes on the people their bribes come from.
jeffbee 5y ago
The actual footprint of lithium mining is absolutely tiny compared to pretty much any other metal in demand. Iron, copper, and aluminum mining have left giant gaping scars in the earth that are thousands of times larger than anything anyone has even proposed doing for lithium. And that's before we start to talk about surface coal mining, tar sands, and all the land that's been scraped flat for oil and gas exploration and production. Get some perspective on this by getting out of your house and looking around. Those photos in the article that are intended to shock me would amount to a single medium-scale table salt evaporation facility.
- NiceWayToDoIT 5y ago
  That looks like a fallacy reasoning. In the same way if we would compare any harm that is happening on our planet to let say: Solar system, galaxy or universe, combined with age of a star, so it would be negligible and therefore justifiable? Collateral damage is justifiable unless you are not that damage isn't it? Better reasoning could begin with the question: would I leave my comfortable home, go there, and live there in community where water is contaminated by lithium mining sludge. Would I drink that water every day? Is there anyone who is suffering so I could enjoy comfortable life?
  - jeffbee 5y ago
    I'm not suggesting that you should move to a salt flat in Bolivia where nobody lives, no, nor am I suggesting that you move to an acidic retaining pond at an old copper mine in Shasta County, California. What I am suggesting is that there are already way, way more people suffering from global consumption of gold, copper, lead, nickel, iron, cadmium, and other metals than are or will potentially suffer from lithium mining.
    - NiceWayToDoIT 5y ago
      I'm saying that more people suffering from other type of mining does not justify more lithium mining just because it is polluting less in comparison to another long establish industries. Instead it should concentrate people thinking power to solve those other issues in mining industry of metals as gold, copper, lead, nickel, iron, cadmium... Also going outside and seeing that it is beautiful kind of sounds as ostrich way of dealing with problems buy turning on the blind eye concentrating to things in local vicinity, convincing yourself that all is good and we should move on.

clcaev 5y ago

If only the price if lithium mined in these ways included the a tax for these environmental externalities.

FranchuFranchu 5y ago
I don't think Argentina, Chile, or Bolivia's governments will increase taxes on the people their bribes come from.

jeffbee 5y ago

The actual footprint of lithium mining is absolutely tiny compared to pretty much any other metal in demand. Iron, copper, and aluminum mining have left giant gaping scars in the earth that are thousands of times larger than anything anyone has even proposed doing for lithium. And that's before we start to talk about surface coal mining, tar sands, and all the land that's been scraped flat for oil and gas exploration and production. Get some perspective on this by getting out of your house and looking around. Those photos in the article that are intended to shock me would amount to a single medium-scale table salt evaporation facility.

NiceWayToDoIT 5y ago
That looks like a fallacy reasoning. In the same way if we would compare any harm that is happening on our planet to let say: Solar system, galaxy or universe, combined with age of a star, so it would be negligible and therefore justifiable? Collateral damage is justifiable unless you are not that damage isn't it? Better reasoning could begin with the question: would I leave my comfortable home, go there, and live there in community where water is contaminated by lithium mining sludge. Would I drink that water every day? Is there anyone who is suffering so I could enjoy comfortable life?
- jeffbee 5y ago
  I'm not suggesting that you should move to a salt flat in Bolivia where nobody lives, no, nor am I suggesting that you move to an acidic retaining pond at an old copper mine in Shasta County, California. What I am suggesting is that there are already way, way more people suffering from global consumption of gold, copper, lead, nickel, iron, cadmium, and other metals than are or will potentially suffer from lithium mining.
  - NiceWayToDoIT 5y ago
    I'm saying that more people suffering from other type of mining does not justify more lithium mining just because it is polluting less in comparison to another long establish industries. Instead it should concentrate people thinking power to solve those other issues in mining industry of metals as gold, copper, lead, nickel, iron, cadmium... Also going outside and seeing that it is beautiful kind of sounds as ostrich way of dealing with problems buy turning on the blind eye concentrating to things in local vicinity, convincing yourself that all is good and we should move on.