Chile's Rewriting Its Constitution For Lithium Batteries & Climate Change: Here's How

The South American country of Chile is currently writing a new constitution to tackle a "climate and ecological emergency." As climate catastrophes become inevitable, countries that are already struggling with resource depletion (water, in Chile's case) are being forced to take action by its people.

Chile's extremely rich in lithium - an essential component of batteries that support almost modern smart devices. As the world races to replace fossil fuel consumption, the demand for lithium is causing a surge in its price.

iStock

Why Chile is rewriting its constitution

Chilean politicians want to leverage its lithium to make the country richer. As the New York Times reported, most Chileans disagree with the government's approach, for similar measures in the past (including privatisation of water) have done little to help out people who need these resources the most.

The new constitution places the future of country's climate readiness in the hands of its 155 architects. According to NYT, the new constitution will focus on lithium mining and its regulation. In addition, it will foresee how lithium mining benefits indigenous communities. The architects of the new constitution will also assess whether Chile's political system needs a revamp.

Unsplash

Under the leadership of military ruler Augusto Pinochet (who overthrew communist Salvador Allende in a coup), Chile began its ongoing journey of resource exploitation.

Also read: IIT Madras Team Builds World's 1st Iron-Ion Battery, And It's Cheaper & Safer Than Lithium Ion

About a fifth of the world's lithium is currently produced by Sociedad Qu¨ªmica y Minera de Chile (SQM) in the Atacama Desert. Carlos D¨ªaz, SQM's vice president for lithium told NYT that the company wants to increase capacity from 140,000 tons of lithium carbonate to 180,000 tons by 2022, with hopes of becoming "carbon neutral" by 2040.

Many fear that the new constitution will impose hefty royalties and restrictions on mining and improve focus on local decision-making.

There's a problem - lithium mining causes soil moisture to decline and causes daytime temperatures to increase which in turn makes the area drier. While more lithium may be extracted, it may become even more unfit for humans.

Chile's draft constitution is expected by ready by July, after which a national vote will take place. This reworking of the constitution is a reminder of changing priorities in a world moving towards climate catastrophes.

Lithium's usage in batteries

With countries looking for quick ways to decarbonise, lithium is being seen as the choice of metal. With electric vehicles being pitched as the future of transportation and all industries looking for cleaner alternatives, lithium is seen as their best bet.

Seen as a key part of renewable energy, lithium ion batteries are considered "energy-dense, cheap and safe."

iStock

What lithium ion batteries essentially do is pack a lot of power and energy into a small package with a longer life-cycle. Most gadgets including smartphones and laptops use lithium-polymer batteries, an alternative to lithium ion batteries.

Also read: New Indian Made Lithium Ion Batteries Promise Improved Performance For Electric Mobility, Storage

Since lithium is considered the standard non-renewable mineral that makes renewable energy possible, its demand is expected to continue shooting up. But in this fight against climate change, lithium mining might create toxic regions where water (saltwater brine) is unfit for human consumption and chances of growing vegetation are low.

Do you think India should also rewrite its constitution to focus on climate concerns? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. For more in the world of tech and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.

Citation

Sengupta, S., & Zegers, M. (2021, December 29). Chile Rewrites Its Constitution, Confronting Climate Change Head On. The New York Times.

Why lithium-ion batteries are so important. (2021, April 14). Canary Media.