Lithium

An early warning signal threatens electric cars. Last week a weed known as Tiehm's buckwheat was dug up and destroyed. It grows wild in Nevada and an Australian company wanted to start mining lithium in that area. The clash of environmental priorities underpinning the battle over this week, conservation vs green energy, is a microcosm of a much larger political dispute. Mining lithium is bad for the environment but nothing like mining rare earths. Those who are pushing for wind and solar have to face up to the mining problems and make some tough decisions. Some wonder if politicians promoting the new green deal have any knowledge about the mining of these metals. Do they understand that wind and solar need backup. Scientist should be in the news explaining the problems so the average citizen can get a better understanding of what the future holds.