Avishai Artsy

Yeah, so first his company has to build a way to get the lithium out of the ground. So as we established, lithium is in the brine, which is the salty water underneath the ground. They need to drill down over a mile deep to get to it. And because it's so deep, the brine is very hot. It's being heated by the Earth's core.

Yeah, so first his company has to build a way to get the lithium out of the ground. So as we established, lithium is in the brine, which is the salty water underneath the ground. They need to drill down over a mile deep to get to it. And because it's so deep, the brine is very hot. It's being heated by the Earth's core.

But what's cool about this is that a mining company could use that heat to power the process of bringing the brine up to the surface and then separating the lithium out from the salt water. And then after they have the lithium, they can just put the brine back in the ground.

But what's cool about this is that a mining company could use that heat to power the process of bringing the brine up to the surface and then separating the lithium out from the salt water. And then after they have the lithium, they can just put the brine back in the ground.

But what's cool about this is that a mining company could use that heat to power the process of bringing the brine up to the surface and then separating the lithium out from the salt water. And then after they have the lithium, they can just put the brine back in the ground.

The process would be much more environmentally friendly than the other ways that we currently get lithium, like hard rock mining, which is just blasting a huge hole in the ground, or giant evaporation ponds that waste a lot of water. And the potential payoff would be huge. This would potentially generate enough lithium to power 375 million electric car batteries.

The process would be much more environmentally friendly than the other ways that we currently get lithium, like hard rock mining, which is just blasting a huge hole in the ground, or giant evaporation ponds that waste a lot of water. And the potential payoff would be huge. This would potentially generate enough lithium to power 375 million electric car batteries.

The process would be much more environmentally friendly than the other ways that we currently get lithium, like hard rock mining, which is just blasting a huge hole in the ground, or giant evaporation ponds that waste a lot of water. And the potential payoff would be huge. This would potentially generate enough lithium to power 375 million electric car batteries.

Well, yeah, part of it is infrastructure. The U.S. just doesn't have the kind of mining, refining, or production of critical minerals infrastructure that, say, China has. And so that's something that needs to be developed. But one of the main things that's held this project back is local opposition. Huh.

Well, yeah, part of it is infrastructure. The U.S. just doesn't have the kind of mining, refining, or production of critical minerals infrastructure that, say, China has. And so that's something that needs to be developed. But one of the main things that's held this project back is local opposition. Huh.

Well, yeah, part of it is infrastructure. The U.S. just doesn't have the kind of mining, refining, or production of critical minerals infrastructure that, say, China has. And so that's something that needs to be developed. But one of the main things that's held this project back is local opposition. Huh.

This is Luis Olmedo. He's executive director of a local group called Comité Cívico del Valle.

This is Luis Olmedo. He's executive director of a local group called Comité Cívico del Valle.

This is Luis Olmedo. He's executive director of a local group called Comité Cívico del Valle.

And he told me about how there's been a lot of companies who've swooped into the Imperial Valley, made big promises of economic development and jobs and bringing a new industry. Like a few years back, farmers gave up valuable land to solar companies that promised lots of good jobs.

And he told me about how there's been a lot of companies who've swooped into the Imperial Valley, made big promises of economic development and jobs and bringing a new industry. Like a few years back, farmers gave up valuable land to solar companies that promised lots of good jobs.

And he told me about how there's been a lot of companies who've swooped into the Imperial Valley, made big promises of economic development and jobs and bringing a new industry. Like a few years back, farmers gave up valuable land to solar companies that promised lots of good jobs.

And most of those turned out to be short-term jobs, just installing the solar panels. And then those jobs quickly went away and people felt tricked.

And most of those turned out to be short-term jobs, just installing the solar panels. And then those jobs quickly went away and people felt tricked.

And most of those turned out to be short-term jobs, just installing the solar panels. And then those jobs quickly went away and people felt tricked.