In Bolivia, a Tight Grip on the Next Big Fuel - NYTimes.com.
Lithium is needed to power the next generation of hybrid and electric cars. Bolivia has half of the world's supply. To whom should the economic returns on this natural resource go?
a. The shareholders of Mitsubishi, GM, Nissan, Ford and BMW
b. Whoever gets the rights to mine it
c. The landholders in Bolivia
d. The landholders in Bolivia who are Bolivian citizens
e. The indigenous people of Bolivia
f. The citizens of Bolivia who can prove 30 years residency
g. All of Bolivia's people in the form of relief from taxes on sales and wages
h. All of Bolivia's people in the form of infrastructure and services, like excellent schools
b. Whoever gets the rights to mine it
c. The landholders in Bolivia
d. The landholders in Bolivia who are Bolivian citizens
e. The indigenous people of Bolivia
f. The citizens of Bolivia who can prove 30 years residency
g. All of Bolivia's people in the form of relief from taxes on sales and wages
h. All of Bolivia's people in the form of infrastructure and services, like excellent schools
Here's a bit of background:
Demand for lithium, long used in small amounts in mood-stabilizing
drugs and thermonuclear weapons, has climbed as makers of batteries for
BlackBerrys and other electronic devices use the mineral. But the
automotive industry holds the biggest untapped potential for lithium,
analysts say. Since it weighs less than nickel, also used in batteries,
it would allow electric cars to store more energy and be driven longer
distances.
With governments, including the Obama administration, seeking to increase fuel efficiency and reduce their dependence on imported oil, private companies are focusing their attention on this desolate corner of the Andes, where Quechua-speaking Indians subsist on the remains of an ancient inland sea by bartering the salt they carry out on llama caravans.
The United States Geological Survey says 5.4 million tons of lithium could potentially be extracted in Bolivia, compared with 3 million in Chile, 1.1 million in China and just 410,000 in the United States. Independent geologists estimate that Bolivia might have even more lithium at Uyuni and its other salt deserts, though high altitudes and the quality of the lithium reserves could make accessing the mineral difficult.
While estimates vary widely, some geologists say electric-car manufacturers could draw on Bolivia’s lithium reserves for decades to come.
With governments, including the Obama administration, seeking to increase fuel efficiency and reduce their dependence on imported oil, private companies are focusing their attention on this desolate corner of the Andes, where Quechua-speaking Indians subsist on the remains of an ancient inland sea by bartering the salt they carry out on llama caravans.
The United States Geological Survey says 5.4 million tons of lithium could potentially be extracted in Bolivia, compared with 3 million in Chile, 1.1 million in China and just 410,000 in the United States. Independent geologists estimate that Bolivia might have even more lithium at Uyuni and its other salt deserts, though high altitudes and the quality of the lithium reserves could make accessing the mineral difficult.
While estimates vary widely, some geologists say electric-car manufacturers could draw on Bolivia’s lithium reserves for decades to come.
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