Humans are more tech-savvy today than ever before, and that has turned into a shopping spree. We exploit nature to the fullest in order to meet the demand of the 8 billion world. So what will happen tomorrow?
Is lithium beneficial or harmful?
We started to cause permanent damage to nature in order to be able to produce. Moreover, we are still at the beginning of the road. As demand increases, new production methods can make the Earth uninhabitable. Clean spring waters are affected the most.
Lithium, which is indispensable for battery technologies, has become of vital importance. However, the way Lithium metal is found in nature requires us to be very sensitive. This sensitivity does not exist in human beings.
Since lithium is a reactive element, it does not prefer to be in solid form. Instead, it reacts with groundwater and is present at the bottom. 40 percent of lithium reserves are located in the Salar de Atamaca salt lake in Chile.
However, the water used to decompose lithium cannot be replaced, which reduces water resources. Experts state that dwindling water resources, taking into account global warming, will pose a serious threat to ecosystems. If necessary precautions are not taken, we may face much worse results within 10 years.
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