The push for clean energy is colliding with an uncomfortable truth: lithium mining, essential for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage, is causing significant environmental damage. A recent book, Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism, explores this issue, focusing on the ecological and social consequences of lithium extraction in Chile—and what it means for Africa’s growing lithium industry.
Thea Riofrancos, an associate professor of political science at Providence College and co-director of the Climate and Community Institute, argues that the shift to green energy must account for the harm caused by mining. She states that extraction forms the material foundation of a zero-carbon world, making “green capitalism” seem contradictory at times.
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Her research centers on Chile’s Atacama Salt Flat, where lithium is pumped from underground brine into evaporation ponds. The process can take up to two years. While electric vehicles produce no tailpipe emissions, their supply chain—from mining to battery production—still harms the environment. Riofrancos notes that EVs are better for combating global warming than gasoline-powered cars, but their production and infrastructure do contribute to climate change.
The Atacama’s brine plays a vital role in the desert’s ecosystem, though mining companies often overlook this. Scientific studies confirm it supports the region’s fragile environment. Riofrancos explains that brine is not just a resource but an entire ecosystem in itself. This raises concerns about whether the benefits of mining justify the ecological costs.
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The book also examines Africa, where lithium mining is expanding in Namibia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Unlike Chile’s brine-based methods, African operations typically involve crushing ore, which has different environmental drawbacks. Riofrancos acknowledges there are no simple solutions. She writes that no single approach can eliminate the environmental impact of mining, and the effects will worsen as demand grows to address the very crisis lithium aims to mitigate.
In the Atacama, lithium extraction has already faced criticism for depleting water in one of the world’s driest regions. Riofrancos’ findings suggest these conflicts raise existential questions for the planet’s zero-carbon future.
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The expansion of lithium mining has sparked discussions about whether stricter regulations can reduce harm. Riofrancos does not suggest abandoning electric vehicles or renewable energy. Instead, she urges a more transparent discussion about the trade-offs involved. She describes the situation as a dilemma without an easy resolution. The task now is to address climate change while protecting the ecosystems affected by mining.
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