Big Picture Science: Lithium Valley
REPEAT
The discovery of a
massive amount of lithium under the Salton Sea could make the U.S. lithium
independent. The metal is key for batteries in electric vehicles and solar
panels. But the area is also a delicate ecosystem. We go to southern California
to hear what hangs in the balance of the ballooning lithium industry, and also
how we extract other crucial substances – such as sand, copper and iron–
and turn them into semiconductors, circuitry and other products upon which the
modern world depends.
Guests:
- Ed Conway – economics and data editor of Sky News and columnist for the Times in London. He’s the author of “Material World, The Six Raw Materials that Shape Modern Civilization“.
- Frank Ruiz – Audubon California Salton Sea Program Director.
- Michael McKibben – Geologist, University of California, Riverside.
This repeat podcast originally aired on February 19, 2024
Download podcast at - https://bigpicturescience.org/episodes/lithium-valley
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