Lithium Valley

Big Picture Science

The discovery of a massive amount of lithium under the Salton Sea could make the U.S. lithium independent. The metal is key for batteries in electric vehicles and solar panels. But the area is also a delicate ecosystem. We go to southern California to hear what hangs in the balance of the ballooning lithium industry, and also how we extract other crucial substances – such as sand, copper and iron– and turn them into semiconductors, circuitry and other products upon which the modern world depends.

Guests:

Ed Conway – economics and data editor of Sky News and columnist for the Times in London. He’s the author of “Material World, The Six Raw Materials that Shape Modern Civilization“.

Frank Ruiz – Audubon California Salton Sea Program Director.

Michael McKibben – Geologist, University of California, Riverside.

Descripción en Español

Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun Miyake

Originally aired February 19, 2024

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