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The next black gold? A lithium coup d’Etat Jason van Tol You’re all set to buy the latest iPhone or its Android equivalent, the last thing on your mind is the recent overthrow of Bolivia’s government. Why should it be? Your phone, like power tools, electric cars, and many other battery-powered technologies, depend on lithium for their energy supply. Being the lightest metal and highly reactive makes lithium a prime candidate for batteries, which are needed to help carry forth the renewable energy revolution now underway.

Money and politics Because the economy is a real thing, this lithium needs to be mined, refined, and transported to production facilities before making its way into your phone or other electronic device. So where is it coming from? According to the US Geological Survey, in 2018 (the most recent year data is available) Australia was, by far, the largest producer of lithium in the world – about 51,000 tonnes, or 60 per cent of global production. However, in terms of estimated resources, Bolivia is believed to hold about nine million tonnes, second in the world only to Argentina. With the demand for lithium rising, this makes Bolivia a geopolitical hot spot. On November 10, 2019 Evo Morales, the democratically elected president of Bolivia, was forced to resign under pressure from the military and police. In a recent interview with Glenn Greenwald, Morales stated that he was

Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia. Source of lithium and world’s largest salt flat. Photo Anouchka Unel / Wikipedia convinced that what had occurred was ‘a lithium coup d’etat’ and one against him and his party’s economic policies.

Not for the people? Morales was Bolivia’s first indigenous president. When he first took office in 2006, Bolivia was one of the poorest countries in the Western hemisphere. Under his government, many industries, including lithium, were nationalised, and the profits which would otherwise be sent to private investors abroad, were instead used to eliminate illiteracy and greatly reduce poverty, and expand social, health, and educational programs. This, Morales explained, was ‘our sin’; that the government of an indigenous president would take control of its country’s own resources, and use them for its own development, under its own guidance. ‘Transnational companies are behind the coup. The United States, too, because of the lithium issue’ Morales stated in summary.

Recognise the coup ‘Think globally, act locally’ is a banner frequently flown

in the Northern Rivers – you can see it, often literally, at the Channon Market. What might it mean in this case? To begin with, Australia could join the many countries, including Argentina, Mexico, and Uruguay, who have refused to recognise the new Bolivian government, and accept that a coup has occurred; rather than praise the event using newspeak lingo as a great ‘win for democracy’, as the US and Brazil have done. Although the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) website still lists Morales as Bolivia’s head of government, it does not appear to have taken a clear stand in rejecting the new regime and labelling what has occurred as a coup. Clarification was provided by DFAT prior to publication.

Australian jobs In economic terms, Australia should think about what it does with its own lithium resources, which are estimated to be about 7.7 million tonnes. Currently, all of the lithium which is mined in Australia is exported for downstream refinement and production of consumer

goods, including batteries. The only minor exception to this is Tianqi Lithium, which has developed a plant to refine the mined ore into lithium hydroxide – one of the next steps to battery production. Yet, this too is then exported. Nationalising this pivotal industry and retaining its profits in public, rather than private, foreign coffers, just as Bolivia did, would contribute to Australia’s common wealth and thereby help fund our own social, health, and educational programs. A 2018 report by the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies deems lithium to have a two trilliondollar value chain, and suggests that the government take an active role in helping to develop it. It also mentions the potential to create thousands of domestic jobs. This aspect, of an industry which will surely grow, is also important, especially at a time when the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that approximately 30 per cent of young Australians (those aged 15–24 years-old) are either unemployed or underemployed. Though there are ecological limits to the size of the economy, investing in domestic production of renewable energy technologies will help limit greenhouse gas emissions and thereby climate change, as well as provide jobs for Australians. At the moment, whether your new mobile is an iPhone or an Android, its batteries are produced elsewhere.

NEFA rejects industry claims that logging is good for koalas The North East Forest Alliance (NEFA) has totally rejected industry claims that logging is good for koalas. Instead they are calling for an immediate logging and clearing moratorium on all highly suitable koala habitat as identified by the government. NEFA spokesperson Dailan Pugh says logging has removed many of the large trees preferred by koalas for feeding as well as vital fire refuges out of the reach of ground fires. They say this process has reduced koala populations and is making forests drier and more flammable.

ĶīŕĶǕ ĈëŕƐ ĎĕĈōĶŕĕƆ ‘Logging has had a profound impact on koalas and their chances of surviving our apocalyptic future. ‘North-east NSW koala populations have declined over 50 per cent in the past 20 years, and last year, 30 per cent of highly suitable koala habitat was burnt, including many known core populations. Thousands of koalas were killed.’ Mr Pugh says the Banyabba population is one of the worst affected with 84 per cent of highly suitable koala habitat burnt in the Busbys Flat and Myall Creek fires. This covers lowland forests from the Richmond Range through to Iluka on the coast, and from Lawrence on the Clarence River north to Mongogarie, south of Casino. ‘NEFA’s monitoring of koalas on State Forests

Kajika the koala is one of the lucky few koalas who was rescued from bushfires and is recovering with Friends of the Koala. Photo supplied south of Casino has found 90 per cent of koalas have been lost from the fireground, so over threequarters of the Banyabba koala population is likely to have been lost. This population was already in decline before the fires.

Precarious future Mr Pugh says koalas face a precarious future, particularly if we continue to log their feed and fire refuge trees. ‘The koalas need the same trees the loggers want. ‘If we want to give koalas a chance to recover from the devastating impacts of the bushfires, the government must act urgently to stop logging and clearing of all highly suitable koala habitat. ‘Given the immense loss of wildlife in the bushfires it is time to stop degrading their habitat and start restoring it. Business as usual is no longer an option if we want to save our wildlife,’ said Mr Pugh.

www.argentondesign.com 20 The Byron Shire Echo `ëŕƖëſƷ ǩǩǽ ǩǧǩǧ

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