RobinReach
WARNING: In 6 minutes, see why the Lithium Triangle sits on the edge of global chaos. Navigate the high-stakes race for energy and influence, then decide your next move. Watch now: https://youtu.be/mj-BaYO4t0Y 🌍⚡🧭
#LithiumTriangle #Geopolitics #EnergyTransition #WatchNow
The "Donroe Doctrine" is expanding. Threats to the Panama Canal, Mexican lithium, and Colombian sovereignty show a pattern: non-white lands are being targeted for American "security." This is ethnic disregard on a global scale. #LatinAmerica #LithiumTriangle
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In the #LithiumTriangle area today in NW Argentina, dust activity in the Dead Man dry lake (which says everything about conditions in this place).
Because emission is as such elevated place, dust is injected in the mid-troposphere were winds can carry it long distances including to Antarctica.
🧪🌍🛰️🌬️
Major #dust storm today in the #LithiumTriangle , one of the driest places in the world. Although minor dust activity is frequent, activity of this scale does happen in local winter.
I was a co-author in the first study that tried to characterize these events : doi.org/10.1002/jgrd...
In the Deserts of South America, the Global EV Boom Fuels a Battle for Water, Land, and Power
#LithiumTriangle #EVs #CleanEnergy #ResourceWars #EnvironmentalJustice #Geopolitics #FactRage #FactRageNews
tglm.us/ZFb74
The Declaration of Indigenous Communities Affected by Lithium Mining is a collective effort of 200 delegates that calls for the collective ownership of lands and rights to self-determination of the #Andeanpeople. #IndigenousGuardians #LithiumMining #LithiumTriangle
The article from *Post Factum* delves into the geopolitics of lithium, a critical mineral essential for energy storage, particularly in lithium-ion batteries. Here’s a summary of the key points: ### **Lithium Production and Supply** - **Extraction Methods**: Lithium is extracted from underground brines (60%) and hard rock ores (40%). Brine extraction is cheaper, while hard rock mining is more common in Australia and China. - **Major Producers**: Australia, Chile, and China dominate global lithium extraction, accounting for 90% of production. The "Lithium Triangle" (Bolivia, Chile, Argentina) holds 50% of global reserves, though Bolivia’s reserves remain underdeveloped due to political and infrastructural challenges. - **Processing**: Over 60% of lithium processing occurs in China, with Chile and Argentina also playing significant roles. ### **Demand Drivers** - **Battery Technology**: Lithium-ion batteries, first commercialized in the 1990s, are crucial for portable electronics, renewable energy storage, and electric vehicles (EVs). The EV industry is the largest driver of lithium demand. - **Environmental Impact**: Lithium extraction and processing are criticized for their environmental toll, including water contamination, scarcity, and high greenhouse gas emissions. ### **Price Volatility** - **Price Surge**: Lithium prices skyrocketed from $20,000/tonne in 2021 to over $70,000/tonne in 2022 due to supply chain disruptions during COVID-19 and increased demand. - **Price Drop**: In 2023, prices fell by 80% due to oversupply and slower EV demand growth, stabilizing around $15,000/tonne in 2024.
### **Geopolitical Competition** - **China’s Dominance**: China controls 79% of global lithium-ion battery production and has heavily invested in global lithium assets, securing partnerships in Africa and South America. - **Self-Sufficiency Efforts**: The US and Europe are investing in domestic lithium extraction, processing, and recycling to reduce reliance on China. The US military has flagged lithium dependence as a national security risk. - **Recycling**: Europe leads in lithium-ion battery recycling, aiming for 65% efficiency by 2026. Recycling could reduce the need for new lithium mining. ### **Future Trends** - **Innovations**: Direct lithium extraction (DLE) and alternative battery technologies, such as sodium-ion batteries, are being explored to reduce reliance on lithium. - **Market Outlook**: Despite recent price drops, demand for lithium is expected to grow, with current and planned projects meeting only 50-60% of projected demand by 2035. Africa, particularly Zimbabwe, is expected to increase its share of global lithium mining. ### **Conclusion** Lithium remains a critical resource for the global energy transition, but its supply chain is highly concentrated and geopolitically sensitive. Countries are racing to secure their lithium supplies, while innovations in extraction and battery technology could reshape the market in the coming decades.
#Lithium #EnergyStorage #ElectricVehicles #Geopolitics #RenewableEnergy #BatteryTechnology #LithiumIon #CriticalMinerals #Sustainability #ClimateChange #SupplyChain #China #LithiumTriangle #Recycling #DirectLithiumExtraction #SodiumIonBatteries #GreenTech #EVs #ResourceSecurity #EnergyTransition
#Lithium
#EnergyStorage
#ElectricVehicles
#Geopolitics
#RenewableEnergy
#BatteryTechnology
#LithiumIon
#CriticalMinerals
#Sustainability
#ClimateChange
#SupplyChain
#China
#LithiumTriangle
#Recycling
#DirectLithiumExtraction
#SodiumIonBatteries
#GreenTech
#EVs
'The extraction lowers water tables, and because freshwater often sits on top of salty water, this has the potential to dry up the lakes, wetlands, springs, and rivers that flourish where the underground water reaches the surface'
#LithiumTriangle
#LithiumTriangle
'..every ton of lithium carbonate extracted from underground using this cheap, low-tech method typically dissipates into the air about half a million gallons of water that is vital to the arid high...
'Global mining conglomerates are competing to grab the metal by pumping that #water to the surface and evaporating it in the sun to concentrate the lithium carbonate that it contains'
#LithiumTriangle
Argentina, Bolivia and Chile
'According to the U.S. Geological Survey, more than half of the world’s lithium reserves are dissolved in ancient underground water within the #LithiumTriangle'
e360.yale.edu/features/lithium-mining-...
