{"id":10547,"date":"2022-03-11T15:30:22","date_gmt":"2022-03-11T15:30:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/TheNextWeb=1382383"},"modified":"2022-03-11T15:30:22","modified_gmt":"2022-03-11T15:30:22","slug":"mining-lithium-for-ev-batteries-is-decimating-flamingos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=10547","title":{"rendered":"Mining lithium for EV batteries is decimating flamingos"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Andean highlands of South America \u2014 where Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia meet \u2014 is also known as the \u201cLithium Triangle,\u201d as the region contains <a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.usgs.gov\/periodicals\/mcs2021\/mcs2021-lithium.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">more than half of the world\u2019s supply<\/a> of the valuable metal.<\/p>\n<p>This has attracted numerous mining companies, with their focus especially on one lake in northeastern Chile called Salar de Atacama. This is estimated to contain <a href=\"https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.1088\/1748-9326\/aae9b1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">almost 30%<\/a> of the globe\u2019s known lithium.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1382386 js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/20170617_AMM932-1.png\" alt=\"Lithium Triangle South America\" width=\"300\" height=\"420\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/20170617_AMM932-1.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/20170617_AMM932-1-150x210.png 150w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/20170617_AMM932-1-96x135.png 96w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/20170617_AMM932-1-193x270.png 193w\"><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/lithium-mining-ev-batteries-is-decimating-flamingos#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fshift%2F2022%2F03%2F11%2Flithium-mining-ev-batteries-is-decimating-flamingos%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: The so-called \u201cLithium Triangle.\u201d Image: Economist\" data-title=\"Share The so-called \u201cLithium Triangle.\u201d Image: Economist on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share The so-called \u201cLithium Triangle.\u201d Image: Economist on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"><\/i><\/a>The so-called \u201cLithium Triangle.\u201d Image: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.economist.com\/img\/b\/300\/421\/90\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/print-edition\/20170617_AMM932.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Economist<\/a><\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1382386\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/20170617_AMM932-1.png\" alt=\"Lithium Triangle South America\" width=\"300\" height=\"420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/20170617_AMM932-1.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/20170617_AMM932-1-150x210.png 150w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/20170617_AMM932-1-96x135.png 96w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/20170617_AMM932-1-193x270.png 193w\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>But as promising as this sounds for our beloved <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/topic\/evs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">EV<\/a> batteries, it comes with a high cost: the area\u2019s biodiversity.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/royalsocietypublishing.org\/doi\/10.1098\/rspb.2021.2388\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">A new study <\/a>suggests that mining operations around the lake are linked with the decline of two threatened flamingo species residing in the basin.<\/p>\n<h2>Lithium mining is thirsty work<\/h2>\n<p>The Andean Highlands might be amongst the Earth\u2019s driest places, but it contains numerous large saline lakes, such as Salar de Atacama. Thanks to these, the area is rich in salty groundwater, called brine, where lithium can be found.<\/p>\n<p>The thing is, producing a single ton of lithium requires roughly <em>400,000 liters<\/em> of water, according to the study.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s because mining companies pump and evaporate the liquid in order to extract lithium.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1382388 js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/1440x810_cmsv2_bdfbbfd3-60b3-521c-b568-23359b060381-6444452.jpeg\" alt=\"Lithium brine extraction \" width=\"597\" height=\"336\" sizes=\"(max-width: 597px) 100vw, 597px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/1440x810_cmsv2_bdfbbfd3-60b3-521c-b568-23359b060381-6444452.jpeg 1440w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/1440x810_cmsv2_bdfbbfd3-60b3-521c-b568-23359b060381-6444452-280x158.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/1440x810_cmsv2_bdfbbfd3-60b3-521c-b568-23359b060381-6444452-240x135.jpeg 240w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/1440x810_cmsv2_bdfbbfd3-60b3-521c-b568-23359b060381-6444452-480x270.jpeg 480w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/1440x810_cmsv2_bdfbbfd3-60b3-521c-b568-23359b060381-6444452-796x448.jpeg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/1440x810_cmsv2_bdfbbfd3-60b3-521c-b568-23359b060381-6444452-1200x675.jpeg 1200w\"><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/lithium-mining-ev-batteries-is-decimating-flamingos#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fshift%2F2022%2F03%2F11%2Flithium-mining-ev-batteries-is-decimating-flamingos%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Lithium ponds, where water is pumped from the ground. Over several weeks, the sun and wind evaporate much of the water and impurities, leaving a high concentration of lithium and other chemicals. Image: Tom Hegen\" data-title=\"Share Lithium ponds, where water is pumped from the ground. Over several weeks, the sun and wind evaporate much of the water and impurities, leaving a high concentration of lithium and other chemicals. Image: Tom Hegen on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Lithium ponds, where water is pumped from the ground. Over several weeks, the sun and wind evaporate much of the water and impurities, leaving a high concentration of lithium and other chemicals. Image: Tom Hegen on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"><\/i><\/a>Lithium ponds, where water is pumped from the ground. Over several weeks, the sun and wind evaporate much of the water and impurities, leaving a high concentration of lithium and other chemicals. Image: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomhegen.com\/collections\/the-lithium-series-i\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Tom Hegen<\/a><\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1382388\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/1440x810_cmsv2_bdfbbfd3-60b3-521c-b568-23359b060381-6444452.jpeg\" alt=\"Lithium brine extraction \" width=\"597\" height=\"336\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/1440x810_cmsv2_bdfbbfd3-60b3-521c-b568-23359b060381-6444452.jpeg 1440w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/1440x810_cmsv2_bdfbbfd3-60b3-521c-b568-23359b060381-6444452-280x158.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/1440x810_cmsv2_bdfbbfd3-60b3-521c-b568-23359b060381-6444452-240x135.jpeg 240w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/1440x810_cmsv2_bdfbbfd3-60b3-521c-b568-23359b060381-6444452-480x270.jpeg 480w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/1440x810_cmsv2_bdfbbfd3-60b3-521c-b568-23359b060381-6444452-796x448.jpeg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/1440x810_cmsv2_bdfbbfd3-60b3-521c-b568-23359b060381-6444452-1200x675.jpeg 1200w\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>Alarmingly, this process shrinks nearby lakes where flamingos eat and breed. In Salar de Atacama, for instance, it\u2019s estimated that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/d41586-018-05233-7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">more than 1,700 liters<\/a> of lithium-rich brine is pumped from the ground every second.<\/p>\n<p>As the lakes retreat, they become saltier, which can affect or even kill the aquatic organisms flamingos eat. And, without enough food, the birds reproduce less, fly elsewhere, or starve.<\/p>\n<h2>Doing the fandango for flamingos<\/h2>\n<p>The researchers found that flamingo populations in Salar de Atacama declined 10-12% between 2002 and 2013 (the most recent years with reliable data).<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1382389 js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/flamingos-gb4077502e_1280.jpeg\" alt=\"Flamingos lithium\" width=\"623\" height=\"416\" sizes=\"(max-width: 623px) 100vw, 623px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/flamingos-gb4077502e_1280.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/flamingos-gb4077502e_1280-280x187.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/flamingos-gb4077502e_1280-203x135.jpeg 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/flamingos-gb4077502e_1280-405x270.jpeg 405w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/flamingos-gb4077502e_1280-796x530.jpeg 796w\"><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/lithium-mining-ev-batteries-is-decimating-flamingos#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fshift%2F2022%2F03%2F11%2Flithium-mining-ev-batteries-is-decimating-flamingos%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Flamingos at the Atacama lake.\" data-title=\"Share Flamingos at the Atacama lake. on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Flamingos at the Atacama lake. on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"><\/i><\/a>Flamingos at the Atacama lake.<\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1382389\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/flamingos-gb4077502e_1280.jpeg\" alt=\"Flamingos lithium\" width=\"623\" height=\"416\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/flamingos-gb4077502e_1280.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/flamingos-gb4077502e_1280-280x187.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/flamingos-gb4077502e_1280-203x135.jpeg 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/flamingos-gb4077502e_1280-405x270.jpeg 405w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/03\/flamingos-gb4077502e_1280-796x530.jpeg 796w\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>The team links the decline with the increase of lithium mining over those years, as an 11% drop in the lake\u2019s water surface was observed during the winter months.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also possible that \u201cnoise and vehicle traffic\u201d from mining operations negatively affect the birds, the authors add.<\/p>\n<h3>Why we need to protect nature<\/h3>\n<p>Flamingos aren\u2019t just beautiful to look at \u2014 and my favorite bird for that matter.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re actually vital in brine lake ecosystems and for Salar de Atacama in particular.<\/p>\n<p>As per the study, flamingos are grazers, spending much of their time chewing tiny organisms from the bottom of the food chain, which contributes to the ecosystem\u2019s balance.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re also a barometer of lake health, meaning that if they can\u2019t survive, no other avian species can either.<\/p>\n<p>On top of that, many local communities in the region <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0959652620308854?via%3Dihub\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">depend on those birds for tourism<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But there\u2019s some good news too: flamingo populations haven\u2019t declined across the broader Lithium Triangle region.<\/p>\n<p>This means that while mining in Lake Atacama threatens the birds, other lakes can still support them, and even buffer losses elsewhere \u2014 showing that mining operations should at least limit their geographical expansion and impact.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s no secret that the boom for lithium demand has been having a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.co.uk\/article\/lithium-batteries-environment-impact\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">negative impact<\/a> on wildlife and biodiversity. And instead of mitigating losses, the industry should focus on more sustainable mining practices, or \u2014 better yet \u2014 on lithium recycling.<\/p>\n<p>If we need the material, the least we can do is ensure it\u2019s obtained in the safest and greenest way possible.<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/lithium-mining-ev-batteries-is-decimating-flamingos\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Andean highlands of South America \u2014 where Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia meet \u2014 is also known as the \u201cLithium Triangle,\u201d as the region contains more than half of the world\u2019s supply&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10548,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10547"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10547"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10547\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10548"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10547"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10547"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10547"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}