The electric vehicle revolution requires millions of tons of lithium to manufacture high-capacity batteries. But the vast majority of the world's lithium is not dug out of deep, traditional rocky mines. It is extracted through massive, alien-looking, neon-colored evaporation ponds spanning the high-altitude salt flats of South America. This book exposes the immense B2B economy of lithium brine extraction. Companies pump heavy, mineral-rich saltwater from deep underground into massive artificial lakes, relying entirely on the scorching desert sun to slowly evaporate the water over 18 months, leaving behind a concentrated lithium sludge. We analyze the incredibly fragile logistics of this supply chain, the massive water-scarcity conflicts it creates with local indigenous populations, and the geopolitical scramble by global automakers to secure exclusive contracts with the few chemical conglomerates that control the Andes triangle. Uncover the wet origins of the battery economy. Discover the neon-colored desert lakes that hold the absolute key to the global green energy transition.
