Counting Down: Our addiction to oil may have an end date

[misterhighwasted]

3. LITHIUM EXTRACTION IN THE CHILEAN NORTH/ Heavy environmental pollution

LITHIUM EXTRACTION IN THE CHILEAN NORTH
The lightest metal of the earth causes heavy pollution of the environment.

http://www.reduse.org/en/blog/lithium-extraction-chilean-north

Snip
The main producer of lithium in Chile is SQMthat produces about 21,000 tons of lithium carbonate annually. The second lithium company is the North American Sociedad Chilena del Litio (SCL). Together, they produce 58% of the world’s lithium.

 

For the production of lithium the brine (groundwater with high concentrations of minerals) is abstracted and pumped into evaporation ponds. Through various evaporation steps it is possible to achieve the required concentration of lithium to get lithium carbonate, which is then further processed.

Snip
IMPACTS OF LITHIUM MINING IN THE CHILEAN NORTH

Lithium mining in the Salar de Atacama brings about substantial direct impacts on the water reserves. The extraction of brine from the groundwater causes the level of groundwater and of the salt plains to drop. The main reason for this is that the water evaporates in the ponds to increase the lithium concentration, without any measure to capture and re-inject it into the groundwater. Consequently, meadows and wetlands run the risk of drying out, directly affecting fragile habitats for nesting birdlife and for traditional pasture.

 

The trucks used for transporting materials within the mining area and to the processing plantscause air pollution. Another damaging aspect is the dust clouds created throughout the mining processes. This dust contains high levels of minerals, particularly lithium carbonate, which are carried towards settlements (eg the towns of Socaire and Peine), pasture areas and protected areas. The dust causes health problems and contamination of the soil and water.



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Out of curiosity, I looked for environmental effects of Lithium mining.
This explains the process & impact, though there are other articles to research.

In conclusion, it appears we are damned if we do & damned if we don't.
Coal, oil, lithium. None of these resources should qualify as cleaner than the other since each brings its own hazard.
Driving a car with a gasoline & oil engine or driving one with a lithium battery, is tough to weigh which is actually cleaner .
I just find this an interesting comparison since not much noise has been made if the environmental hazards of lithium mining.

This link goes a bit more into future research.

http://www.kitco.com/ind/Albrecht/2014-12-16-How-Green-is-Lithium.html?sitetyhttp://www.kitco.com/ind/Albrecht/2014-12-16-How-Green-is-Lithium.html?sitetype=fullsitepe=fullsite

Here's a few more good links
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=mining+lithium+environmental+impact&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjzucvkwNDMAhUC1h4KHbNhDhMQgQMIGDAA