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> Lithium is available about everywhere Yes, in places like Serbia, very close to Europe. But feel free to tell the Serbs that they should have their ecosystem

> Lithium is available about everywhere Yes, in places like Serbia, very close to Europe. But feel free to tell the Serbs that they should have their ecosystem destroyed so that that Lithium can get dug out. [1] For comparison, living close to an oil-well is much more manageable. Not ideal, but manageable. [1] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60081853 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60081853

timeon 4y ago
> Serbia, very close to Europe Very close, since it is inside.
- paganel 4y ago
  Typo, wanted to write Western Europe, where most probably they'll build most of the battery factories.
ajdude 4y ago
Bear in mind that lithium can be extracted in much more environmentally friendly waves, where brine is extracted, filtered, and pumped back in [1]. I do have to wonder if such a process could ultimately be as efficient - and least invasive -- as an oil well. I am not in the industry, nor do I have any stake in this, but reading that article reminded me of when a town built a expensive and perfectly good nuclear power plant just a vote at the last minute by the local community not to turn it on. (Trying to locate this but Google is failing me- I can find the link later, I think it's currently a museum or used for training now). There is a lot of misinformation circling around with modern nuclear technology, and there is a lot of interest groups in the fossil fuel industry actively lobbying against it. I'm curious if any of these environmental activists have ties to the fossil fuel industry. [1] https://www.bbc.com/news/business-54900418 https://www.bbc.com/news/business-54900418
- selimthegrim 4y ago
  You are thinking of Shoreham, on Long Island, NY.
rbanffy 4y ago
> have their ecosystem destroyed As opposed to fossil-fuel global warming that threatens to destroy their ecosystems as well? Just proactively enact aggressive environmental laws that force Lithium extraction to be environmentally sound.
- paganel 4y ago
  > As opposed to fossil-fuel global warming that threatens to destroy their ecosystems as well? This is just catastrophism. Three years ago we were all going to die in two weeks or something, this is the same type of discourse.
  - rbanffy 4y ago
    If you consider the positive impact every Lithium battery has on our carbon footprint, you'll easily see it's a net good at the planetary scale. As for the ecological damage, we can just come up with processes that don't require brine pools in the middle of deserts.
  - ImPostingOnHN 4y ago
    "three years ago we were all going to die in two weeks or something" seems like a strawman, and this strawman constitutes your entire post
  - antisthenes 4y ago
    It's 2023, yet here we are, still denying global climate change as if it's 2001 and making fun of Al Gore is trendy and edgy, because he lost the election. Just blows my mind.
panick21_ 4y ago
The idea that lithium mining is uniquely destroying the environment is mostly nonsense. Making mines anywhere in the western world is difficult. Also this articles says literally nothing about how exactly the environment would be destroyed.

timeon 4y ago

> Serbia, very close to Europe Very close, since it is inside.

paganel 4y ago
Typo, wanted to write Western Europe, where most probably they'll build most of the battery factories.

ajdude 4y ago

Bear in mind that lithium can be extracted in much more environmentally friendly waves, where brine is extracted, filtered, and pumped back in [1]. I do have to wonder if such a process could ultimately be as efficient - and least invasive -- as an oil well. I am not in the industry, nor do I have any stake in this, but reading that article reminded me of when a town built a expensive and perfectly good nuclear power plant just a vote at the last minute by the local community not to turn it on. (Trying to locate this but Google is failing me- I can find the link later, I think it's currently a museum or used for training now). There is a lot of misinformation circling around with modern nuclear technology, and there is a lot of interest groups in the fossil fuel industry actively lobbying against it. I'm curious if any of these environmental activists have ties to the fossil fuel industry. [1] https://www.bbc.com/news/business-54900418 https://www.bbc.com/news/business-54900418

selimthegrim 4y ago
You are thinking of Shoreham, on Long Island, NY.

rbanffy 4y ago

> have their ecosystem destroyed As opposed to fossil-fuel global warming that threatens to destroy their ecosystems as well? Just proactively enact aggressive environmental laws that force Lithium extraction to be environmentally sound.

paganel 4y ago
> As opposed to fossil-fuel global warming that threatens to destroy their ecosystems as well? This is just catastrophism. Three years ago we were all going to die in two weeks or something, this is the same type of discourse.
- rbanffy 4y ago
  If you consider the positive impact every Lithium battery has on our carbon footprint, you'll easily see it's a net good at the planetary scale. As for the ecological damage, we can just come up with processes that don't require brine pools in the middle of deserts.
- ImPostingOnHN 4y ago
  "three years ago we were all going to die in two weeks or something" seems like a strawman, and this strawman constitutes your entire post
- antisthenes 4y ago
  It's 2023, yet here we are, still denying global climate change as if it's 2001 and making fun of Al Gore is trendy and edgy, because he lost the election. Just blows my mind.

panick21_ 4y ago

The idea that lithium mining is uniquely destroying the environment is mostly nonsense. Making mines anywhere in the western world is difficult. Also this articles says literally nothing about how exactly the environment would be destroyed.