Green energy promises a decarbonised future, beyond the burning of fossil fuels. Yet some prevailing technology can do harm, too. Consider, for instance, the extraction of lithium to power batteries in a world hungry for solar panels, electric vehicles, and mobile phones.
One ton of lithium can require two million litres of water, in a process of burning off until only the mineral is left. Much of the material is extracted from the “lithium triangle” in Argentina, Bolivia and Chile, often at the expense of Indigenous communities
