Are EVs equivalent to Clean Environments? The Hidden Costs of Lithium

Electric vehicles are one of those innovations that hooked everyone’s interest, particularly due to promising reduced greenhouse gas emissions and alternative to fossil fuels. These vehicles are powered by one or more electric traction motors that use the energy stored in batteries to operate. Compared to conventional vehicles that are dependent on burning fossil fuels, they instead rely on electricity to function, hence making them “environmentally friendly”. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg, as EV batteries raise concerns between environmental and human rights issues regarding the extraction of lithium batteries.

Globally, the energy sector has faced a surge of demand in mineral markets dominated by lithium,nickel,cobalt,manganese, and graphite. It is perceived as crucial for not only battery performance or wind turbines, but also electric vehicles. The percentage of this demand is reaching over 40% for copper, 60-70% for nickel and cobalt, as well as 90% for lithium.

The Lithium Triangle: A Source of “Milk and Honey”

At the heart of Latin America, lithium is abundant as it lies beneath the salt flats of Argentina,Chile,and Bolivia. They are collectively referred to as The Lithium Triangle, responsible for supplying 75% of the world’s lithium reserves. With this availability, the lithium extracted is able to meet the demands of 9% consumption annually.

Chile’s Salar de Atacama is one of the most notable regions for lithium production, companies there extract the mineral by pumping the lithium brines beneath the salt flat land so that water will turn to gas leaving behind lithium-concentrated salts to be processed for battery use. Although the procedure is cost effective in a considerable time frame (18 months), it requires a large amount of water in order to collect those salts. Lithium extraction takes up to 500,000 gallons of water which strains the region,exacerbating water scarcity.

According to The University of Chile, Atacama salt flat is sinking at a rate of 1 to 2 centimeters (0.4 to 0.8 inches) per year.The pumping process can lead to some serious environmental hazards, especially when it is done faster than the aquifer(a body of permeable rock which can contain or transmit groundwater) can naturally recharge itself.

The major impact of this is the reduction of the water table (groundwater level). When the water table drops drastically, the land above it can become unstable as the spaces in the soil that were previously filled with air become empty. This can lead to permanent land subsidence, a vertical lowering of the land surface. Once land has subsided like this, its physical properties can be permanently changed and cannot be restored.

Francisco Delgado, a researcher at the Department of Geology at the University of Chile noted that the area of subsidence is roughly 8 km (5 miles) north to south and 5 km (3 miles) east to west. This environmental depletion has caused local farmers and herders from indigenous backgrounds to experience declining crop yields, and difficulty to maintain livestock.

Beyond scarce water supply, extracting lithium harms soil and contaminates air, as well as local water sources. Mining removes soil’s nutrients and vegetation which can cause surface runoff and this can be seen in similar cases such as Tibet where the result has poisoned Liqi River, killing fish and livestock. In Chile and Argentina, these events caused companies to face complaints by communities because the streams used for drinking water and irrigation were heavily polluted from industrial activity.

The rising global transition for green energy is important, but this shift should not come at the cost of depleting the environment or making communities at loss. Initially, it is estimated by The Department of Energy that electric vehicles generate 60 per cent lower carbon emissions compared to vehicles powered by fossil fuels. Still, the social and environmental cost of lithium mining outweighs the lesser carbon emission it produces, contradicting the thought that electric vehicles are a straightforward solution to climate change.

On 13 January 2023, local residents opposed lithium operations between SQM and Chile's state-run Codelco, claiming they were not properly consulted prior to the agreement.This issue further concerns mining contracts across Latin America that lacks free, prior and informed consent which violates human rights standards.

Could Indonesia Be the New Lithium Frontier?

Currently, Indonesia is hitting the potential to attract foreign direct investment in lithium mining sectors especially areas such as Bledug Kluwu in Grobogan, Central Java. This location is known for its Lapindo-like mudflow phenomenon, but it turns out to contain promising lithium and boron minerals.

According to the Indonesian Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources(BMKG), the lithium content in the Bledug Kuwu mud water ranges from 103–111 ppm, while waste water from traditional salt mines contains lithium up to 1110 ppm, a fairly high figure. Boron, which is also important for renewable energy technology, is recorded in significant amounts.

Lithium has been found in several locations such as South Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, Kalimantan, and particularly Java. However, the current lithium reserve in Indonesia is still in the early exploration stage, so there are no large-scale mining operations like those located in “The Lithium Triangle”. The government through the Geological Agency has indicated that it will continue advanced exploration with a geophysical and hydrogeological approach.

To conclude, electric vehicles may come off as environmentally friendly, but the use of lithium batteries could instead replicate the harms of conventional vehicles.

Bibliography

“Electric Cars, What They Are, How They Work, Main Advantages and Difficulties.” Ferrovial, 17 May 2024, www.ferrovial.com/en/resources/electric-cars/#:~:text=Electric%20cars%2C%20also%20known%20as,use%20electricity%20to%20propel%20themselves.

IEA. “Executive Summary – the Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions – Analysis.” IEA, 2021, www.iea.org/reports/the-role-of-critical-minerals-in-clean-energy-transitions/executive-summary.

Ahmad, S. (2020, January 18). The Lithium Triangle: where Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia meet. Harvard International Review. https://hir.harvard.edu/lithium-triangle/

Oxford Languages and Google - English | Oxford Languages. (2024, January 16). https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/

Cambero, Fabian. “Lithium Mining Is Slowly Sinking Chile’s Atacama Salt Flat, Study Shows.” Reuters, 22 Aug. 2024, www.reuters.com/sustainability/land-use-biodiversity/lithium-mining-is-slowly-sinking-chiles-atacama-salt-flat-study-shows-2024-08-22/.

Business. “Chile: Indigenous Groups Protest against Lithium Agreement Signed between SQM and Codelco Alleging They Were Sidelined - Business & Human Rights Resource Centre.” Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, 2025, www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/chile-indigenous-groups-protest-against-lithium-agreement-signed-between-sqm-and-codelco-alleging-they-were-sidelined/.

Muliawati, F. D. (1970, January 1). RI Ternyata Simpan Lithium, Diam-Diam jadi Incaran dunia. CNBC Indonesia. https://www.cnbcindonesia.com/news/20240318094507-4-522780/ri-ternyata-simpan-lithium-diam-diam-jadi-incaran-dunia