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Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:
Located in the 28-mile-long and 22-mile-wide McDermitt Caldera, the discovery of the deposit will be a massive boost to the United States' lithium reserves, which have been estimated at just one million metric tons. Most of the world's major deposits are in countries outside of North America, such as Chile, Bolivia, Argentina, China and Australia. It could also encourage more US investment in electric cars and will alleviate fears over lithium shortages – it's thought that a million metric tons of lithium will be needed by 2024.
"It could change the dynamics of lithium globally, in terms of price, security of supply and geopolitics," Belgian geologist Anouk Borst told Chemistry World. "The US would have its own supply of lithium and industries would be less scared about supply shortages."
The size of the deposit still has to be confirmed, but Lithium Americas Corporation says it expects to start mining the supply in 2026.
[...] Not everyone is celebrating the discovery, especially the Native American tribes who say the land is sacred. There are also potential dangers to native wildlife, and researchers are worried that the project will cause groundwater levels to drop to dangerous levels. Even NASA has spoken out against mining in the area. The space agency has been using Nevada's Railroad Valley lakebed since 1993 to accurately gauge the time it takes for satellite signals to travel to Earth and back, allowing it to calibrate the satellites.
(Score: -1, Troll) by gitano on Thursday September 14 2023, @06:50AM (7 children)
At least this time US not gonna create a war somewhere for the resources.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Opportunist on Thursday September 14 2023, @08:05AM (6 children)
Just wait for it, someone is certain to shoot someone over it.
It would be very un-American to not do it.
(Score: 3, Touché) by Rich on Thursday September 14 2023, @01:03PM (5 children)
California could try to secede over this. :)
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Thursday September 14 2023, @02:50PM (4 children)
Wouldn't that be Texas?
Police can legally stop you for having too much tent on your window.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 14 2023, @03:50PM
The parasites conjure the money, they own the media, they dominate academia. The deep state and legal systems are crawling with them. Lying and fraud are no problem for them - that's what they do, and that's what they are.
(Score: 2) by Rich on Thursday September 14 2023, @04:26PM (2 children)
I'm not too much into local US politics, but I've always assumed Texas might be inclined to join the CSA of Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee, while secessionists in California would like to form the SPRC (Socialist People's Republic of Californa). I mean, the Bear State Flag already has a red star.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Thursday September 14 2023, @04:45PM
Various states that keep threatening to secede can only play that card so many times before it is no longer taken seriously.
Police can legally stop you for having too much tent on your window.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 14 2023, @05:52PM
> secessionists in California
There's a fun book about that, "Ecotopia", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecotopia [wikipedia.org]
Recommended! It can be checked out from the Open Library...