Climate change is one of the significant threats that the world is currently facing, and it has long-lasting, drastic events that one could never have imagined. To counter this, many solutions have been proposed, and continuous efforts are being made to mitigate the impacts of this phenomenon.
Among those solutions, green technology is eminent. Also known as green tech or cleantech, it means the utilization of technology and scientific advancements to mitigate and potentially reverse the adverse effects of human activities on the environment.
Shifting to renewable energy sources also comes under the domain of green technology. However there are hidden costs of it that threaten fragile ecosystems and indigenous communities.
The lithium boom and its untold impacts
Lithium is a major component of electric vehicle (EV) batteries, solar energy storage, and consumer electronics which all are considered significant steps shifting to renewable energy sources.
As countries push for decarbonization, global lithium demand has skyrocketed. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the exigency of lithium has more than doubled from 95,000 tonnes in 2021 to 205,000 tonnes in 2024. Considering the current EV revolution, the consumption is projected to exceed 90,000 tonnes.
But this green transition comes at a steep environmental price. In Chile, the second-largest lithium producer after Australia, mining companies extract lithium by pumping brine from beneath salt flats into massive evaporation ponds. This process utilizes vast amounts of water in an already drought-stricken region. This leads to catastrophic consequences including shrinking lagoons, dying wildlife, and disrupted ecosystems.
A drying desert and disappearing wildlife
According to Faviola Gonzalez, a biologist from the local indigenous community, the mining impacts on flamingo populations in the area confirms rapid decrease in wildlife as their breeding habitats shrink. “The lagoons here are smaller now,” she says. “We’ve seen a decrease in flamingo reproduction”. The underground water, ancient and slow to replenish, is being drained faster than nature can restore it.
The results are also validated by a 2022 report by the U.S. based Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC). The study revealed that lithium mining resulted in almost a third of native carob trees in the Atacama. James A. Blair, a researcher who also contributed to this report, warned that lithium extraction is “contributing to ecological exhaustion,” threatening freshwater supplies for both wildlife and humans.
Adverse effects on local communities
For indigenous communities such as Peine, shortage of water has caused catastrophic effects. The head of the Peine community association, Sergio Cubillos, addressed the issue by sharing that mining has forced them to overhaul their water and electrical systems. While asserting the ways to mitigate the problem, he asserted: “Decisions are made in Santiago, far from here.”
Although mining companies are now acknowledging the challenges and claim to be investing in sustainable solutions, locals remain wary, questioning whether the attempts are sufficient to address the cause or will be effective enough to reverse the damage that has been done already.
Green Tech vs. Environmental Justice
The water scarcity in Atacama reflects a broader tension in the fight against climate change. While the lithium promises a cleaner energy, its extraction process recreates the environmental harm in a different form.
Critics argue that the burden falls disproportionately on indigenous communities as their carbon footprint is low but their water is being taken. And ultimately, such communities are not even utilizing EVs.