The Lithium Triangle: Where Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia Meet

[Disir]

The lightest of metals may be causing the largest of impacts. Lithium, which powers our phones, laptops, and electric cars, is essential to our battery-driven world. The demand for lithium has rapidly increased, as the global market’s annual consumption has risen by 8.9 percent annually. This demand will only intensify as hybrid and electric vehicles, energy storage systems, and portable electronics become increasingly widespread. While lithium has been found on each of the six inhabited continents, Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia—together referred to as the “Lithium Triangle”—hold more than 75 percent of the world’s supply beneath their salt flats.

The Lithium Triangle is one of the driest places on earth, which complicates the process of lithium extraction: miners have to drill holes in the salt flats to pump salty, mineral-rich brine to the surface. They then let the water evaporate for months at a time, forming a mixture of potassium, manganese, borax, and lithium salts that is then filtered and left to evaporate once more. After between 12 and 18 months, the filtering process is complete and lithium carbonate can be extracted.
The Lithium Triangle: Where Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia Meet

I had no idea that lithium was found there.

 

[MisterBeale]

I did. I have friends on the left decrying "oil wars," saying, if we only convert to the "new green deal," we won't have to fight wars for oil. While ignoring that Afghanistan and Bolivia are being conquered and subverted for their integral part in the drug trade and their command of the Lithium Market. There is a shit ton of Lithium in Afghanistan too.

It's the same story, just a new commodity.

Coups-for-Green-Energy Added to Wars-For-Oil
Coups-for-Green-Energy Added to Wars-For-Oil - CounterPunch.org

 

[surada]

The lightest of metals may be causing the largest of impacts. Lithium, which powers our phones, laptops, and electric cars, is essential to our battery-driven world. The demand for lithium has rapidly increased, as the global market’s annual consumption has risen by 8.9 percent annually. This demand will only intensify as hybrid and electric vehicles, energy storage systems, and portable electronics become increasingly widespread. While lithium has been found on each of the six inhabited continents, Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia—together referred to as the “Lithium Triangle”—hold more than 75 percent of the world’s supply beneath their salt flats.

The Lithium Triangle is one of the driest places on earth, which complicates the process of lithium extraction: miners have to drill holes in the salt flats to pump salty, mineral-rich brine to the surface. They then let the water evaporate for months at a time, forming a mixture of potassium, manganese, borax, and lithium salts that is then filtered and left to evaporate once more. After between 12 and 18 months, the filtering process is complete and lithium carbonate can be extracted.
The Lithium Triangle: Where Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia Meet

I had no idea that lithium was found there.

I think Australia is the largest producer of Lithium.

 

[surada]

I did. I have friends on the left decrying "oil wars," saying, if we only convert to the "new green deal," we won't have to fight wars for oil. While ignoring that Afghanistan and Bolivia are being conquered and subverted for their integral part in the drug trade and their command of the Lithium Market. There is a shit ton of Lithium in Afghanistan too.

It's the same story, just a new commodity.

Coups-for-Green-Energy Added to Wars-For-Oil
Coups-for-Green-Energy Added to Wars-For-Oil - CounterPunch.org

KAUST is extracting Lithium from Seawater.

Scientists develop ‘cheap and easy’ method to extract lithium from seawater

Saudi Arabia-based researchers employed an electrochemical cell containing a ceramic membrane to extract lithium from seawater.

www.mining.com