Electric Vehicles are supposed to solve climate change, but only if You don’t look at Tibet: The processes involved in extracting lithium for Chinese EVs have huge environmental costs attached
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When an anthropologist says "damage the environment just as much as fossil fuels" then I doubt it. Where is the data?
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One report from 2023 already discusses the issue. A brief summary of the report can be read in the article China's Greed for Lithium is Killing the Tibetan Plateau:
The report further stressed that this large-scale exploitation of Tibet has been initiated and supported by Xi Jinping himself under his "Made in China 2025" campaign. During his visit to Qinghai Province in 2021, Xi called for the escalation of lithium extraction on a large scale. Apart from lithium, Tibet is home to the world's largest deposits of critical minerals used in various technologies in critical industries like pharmaceuticals and electronics ...
However, the continuous mining in the area has had a devastating impact on the ecology of the Tibetan Plateau, raising the pollution level. It not only polluted rivers and streams but, in several cases, even diverted their flow. This has severely affected the flora and fauna of the region. The government in Beijing seems least concerned about the negative effect of continuous mining across the Tibetan Plateau. Its whole focus is on making money ...
Rivers have been affected the most, and they are far from recovery. The Tibetan Plateau is the origin of mighty rivers like Mekong and Yarlung Tsangpo (known as Brahmaputra in the Indian sub-continent). These rivers have been the living force for millions of people in Southeast Asia and South Asia ...
Another problem is the contamination of soil. During lithium extraction, several chemicals come into contact with soil. Rivers and floods further aid this contaminated soil to reach agricultural fields, affecting the growth of crops. Apart from poisoning the nearby surface water, it also has severe effects on the groundwater ...
China has made false promises at platforms like the Conference of Parties (CoP) summits and other environmental protection summits. Little has been achieved in maintaining ecological biospheres around Tibet.
On the contrary, Tibet has become a dumping ground for Beijing. Glaciers are melting, tens and hundreds of small rivers and streams have dried up, the air is polluted, and floods have become normal occurrences. Many critically endangered species are on the verge of extinction. The "roof of the world" is going through the biggest turbulence while Beijing is busy extracting "white gold."
The report goes on with a lot more of devastating pollutions. And this is just one among many, see, for example, here. You'll find more on the web.
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I don't object the observation 'China destroys Tibet to produce EVs'. I object the conclusion that 'EVs are as bad as ICEs for the environment'.
If you want to compare the two technologies in a fair way it doesn't make sense to only consider the single dimension 'negative Impact on Tibet'.
As said, also ICEs involve a lot of mining activities - for the fuel and also for the production (e.g. platinum for catalysts). And independent of mining, the CO2 exhaust destroys the planet as a whole. Although that relation isn't as openly visible as in your example, it can still be significantly worse overall.
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Nobody said lithium mining isn't environmentally damaging. The question here is whether it's more so than fossil fuels. Are you contending lithium mining is more destructive than climate change? Because I think you're going to have an uphill battle if you are. And if you're not contending that, your sources are irrelevant.
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I agree that the title may be a bit misleading as it could be understood as to comparing the two technologies, although this isn't what the authors want to say. But, yes, it could easily be misunderstood. (Just don't want to edit the original version now unless the community and/or mods wish me to do so.)
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For me the title isn't nearly as bad as the last paragraph which you even emphasized
The truth of the matter is the shift to green technologies is going to damage the environment just as much as fossil fuels
Unless, they found fundamental new evidence, this claim is blatantly incorrect. Thus, I personally can't see the linked article as a trustworthy source of information. Which is unfortunate because they may have a valid point regarding the situation in Tibet that deserves the public's attention. But spreading misinformation in order to amplify your voice isn't a good practice IMO.
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Right, so it sets me asking "Who is it continually raising these concerns in the press?" I think a lot of it is done by fossil fuel lobbies to delay the full throated support of greener tech by governments.
That's not to say that we have to sacrifice Tibet to the lord of EVs, but that such things need to be discussed in context. EVe aren't evil here. China's exploitation of Tibet is, and that's a whole thing that's both bigger and separate from EVe.
It's similar when discussing decarbonising electric generation. "Wind bad because unreliable and battery storage kills children in the DR of Congo". If it wasn't cobalt it would be some other mineral. You don't solve child exploitation by removing demand for some mineral. You solve it with direct action on that problem.
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Probably in the PC of an oil corporation that bribed this anthropologist.
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No, they aren't supposed to solve climate change. They are supposed to give people the impression that climate change can be solved without changing your way of life.
They do help, but not nearly enough on their own.And Lithium mining is not a climate issue. It's a local or at the most regional environmental issue.
Which sucks, because the environment in parts of Tibet is destroyed. But if climate change isn't reigned in, the environment everywhere on earth will be. -
I don't understand this language. If you read the quotation out of context, you are right, but the article clearly refers to Tibet and the environmental impact there - and only there. The whole case is about Tibet. I honestly don't understand why you make that such a big deal.
