| Indigenous people are left poor as tech world takes lithium from under their feet to power phones and electric cars |
The silvery-white metal that is essential in lithium-ion batteries that power smartphones, laptops and electric vehicles has prompted a land rush in the South American region known as the “Lithium Triangle.” But some villages will receive annual payments as small as $9,000 from operations expected generate $250 million, according to previously undisclosed contracts reviewed by The Post.
The mining operations also use massive amounts of water in a parched region that sees less than four inches of rain a year, raising worries about whether the local people will have enough water. |
| Read more » |
