THE LAKE THAT WILL CHANGE THE WORLD

Beneath the crystallized salt that blankets Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni is a pool of brine exceptionally rich in lithium that could ensure our energy future. Not only can the light metal help forestall climate change, it’s also an important weapon in the battle against international terrorism.

CAN THIS WHITE GOLD DEFEAT TERRORISM? When we hear the word lithium, we are likely to think of the batteries that power laptops and smartphones, but the relatively rare element is also in the batteries of the electric cars that are slated to replace combustion-engine vehicles. That transition will have an additional positive effect: By reducing our dependence on oil, we can curtail the flow of money to terrorist groups and the countries that support them, which often finance the assistance they provide with their oil revenues. That could make the world a safer place. HOW OIL HAS FINANCED TERRORISM Until the Islamic State (ISIS) was driven out of the majority of its territory in 2019, the terror organization’s largest source of revenue was oil production and smuggling from the numerous oil fields…

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iD (Ideas & Discoveries) (Digital) - 1 Issue, March 2021

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