Saturday, July 17, 2021

Plans to mine California's Salton Sea, believed to house a massive amount of lithium

Vice:

The Salton Sea was created accidentally in 1905 after a portion of the Colorado River spilled out of its irrigation system

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The Salton Sea was once a resort area, with a series of small towns and vacation spots on its coasts. It is now so toxic that few creatures can live in its waters, though it is still an ecologically important area for migratory birds. Some of the towns, such as Bombay Beach, have essentially become ghost towns over the past few decades.

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The area is understood to hold one of the nation’s largest lithium brine stores, capable of supplying up to 40 percent of global demand for the mineral, according to the California Energy Commission (CEC). 

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Lithium-ion batteries are key [to producing electric cars]