I’ve just returned from a workshop in Buenos Aires, comparing lithium extraction for the renewable energy transition between Australia, Argentina, Bolivia, Canada, and Chile.
The geology of lithium means that the environmental impacts diverge wildly across these landscapes, some argue that lithium isn’t even “mined” in Latin America because of the process of extracting lithium using water compared with hard-rock mining in Australia.
The social impacts are even more stark, with conflicts occurring around mine sites within Indigenous communities in areas with long histories of human rights violations.
This is not to suggest that mining lithium is not without environmental impacts or social tensions in Australia but to acknowledge extreme impacts in the “lithium triangle” of Latin America. Sharing knowledge about what commonalities and differences exists highlights concerns of water use, documenting impacts, probing community benefits from mining, and recognising the importance of social license for mining to occur.
