Mining companies are eyeing sacred Lakota land in South Dakota for another mineral resource: lithium.
News of the world environment
NEWSLETTER | JANUARY 19, 2024
Green Rush in Black Hills
South Dakota’s Black Hills are no stranger to mining. The hills — sacred land to the Lakota — have long been exploited for gold and uranium deposits, the lands scarred and rivers polluted in the process. The area is a relatively small (60 by 100 mile) island of lush trees and rolling hills amid a vast expanse of grasslands, but one in every five acres has an active mining claim. Now, mining companies are eyeing the region for another resource: lithium.
In the last decade, global lithium production has quadrupled, predominately coming from two places. The first is a region in Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina known as the “Lithium Triangle.” Lithium sourced from this region is found in salt flats and extracted from pools of salty brine through an evaporation process. The second is Western Australia, where the mineral is mined from bedrock in places like Western Australia and Zimbabwe. Mining companies are preparing for similar endeavors in the United States in Nevada, South Dakota, North Carolina, and more.
Welcome to the “white gold rush” to procure lithium, a vital element used to produce the batteries that power the electric cars, solar cells, and other technologies of the green energy transition. This rush is in its initial stages, but already the same actors who capitalized on past oil and mineral rushes are positioned to continue business as usual. This time, climate change is being exploited to justify the same harmful extractive practices.
Journalist Steward Sinclair reports on the mining industry’s mounting interest in South Dakota’s lithium resources and the Indigenous-led effort to protect the Black Hills from further extraction.
READ MORE
Photo by Chad Davis
SUGGESTED BROWSING
More Indigenous Land Grabs
Another side effect of the green energy rush — the permitting process for solar projects in Washington state is putting Indigenous cultural resources like ceremonial sites and first foods at risk, leading some to describe it as a “broken system” and a “land grab.” (High Country News)
Repressing Resistance
In just the last few years, Extinction Rebellion has spurred real action on the climate crisis in the UK. But the direct action group has also sparked a backlash, including legislation many say is aimed at curbing peaceful protest. (Drilled)
(Im)Pura Vida
Costa Rica may be best known for its “eco-groovy image and pura vida vibe.” But chemical spraying on the country’s banana farms has led to one of the highest rates of pesticide use per capita in the world, to the great detriment of both people and the environment. (Sierra Magazine)
Powerful Programming
“A fig is wasp cradle and wasp grave, a tree is an orgy in a cemetery, and each lime green or dark purple globe contains enough seeds to ravage and ravish a countryside.” A wonderful, whimsical rumination on the essential kernels of life. (About Place Journal)
Not a subscriber yet?
You can get 4 issues of our award-winning print magazine delivered for $20 ($25 for international addresses) by clicking this secure link.
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Earth Island Journal is a nonprofit publication. Our mission is to inform and inspire action. Which is why we rely on readers like you for support. If you believe in the work we do, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to our Green Journalism Fund.
DONATE TODAY!
Did a thoughtful friend forward you our newsletter? Keep up with the latest from Earth Island Journal!
SIGN UP TODAY
Follow
Follow
Subscribe
You are receiving this email newsletter because you signed up on our website.
If this newsletter was forwarded to you, you can sign up to the email newsletter here.
Support our work by subscribing to our quarterly print magazine.
Copyright © 2024 Earth Island Journal, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
Earth Island Journal
2150 Allston Way Ste 460
Berkeley, CA 94704-1375
Add us to your address book
No longer want to receive these emails?
Unsubscribe
