And if Lithium was not a Commodity? The Provocation of an Ethnographic Moment
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Abstract
Lithium is used in rechargeable batteries that power electric cars in places like Europe. It is
mined in places like the Andean salt flats, where it is found in underground brine deposits. Be
cause of the energy transition it has been defined as a ‘critical’ raw material. How to come to terms with lithium’s strategic importance at a global scale? This article addresses this question by offering the provocation of an ethnographic moment. Based on a recent visit to the Swiss brine deposits (Schweizer Salinen) in Möhlin, it asks: What if lithium resembled more of a public good than a private commodity?
mined in places like the Andean salt flats, where it is found in underground brine deposits. Be
cause of the energy transition it has been defined as a ‘critical’ raw material. How to come to terms with lithium’s strategic importance at a global scale? This article addresses this question by offering the provocation of an ethnographic moment. Based on a recent visit to the Swiss brine deposits (Schweizer Salinen) in Möhlin, it asks: What if lithium resembled more of a public good than a private commodity?
Date Issued
2025
Publication Type
Magazine Article
Language(s)
en
Additional Credits
Publisher
ASG Verband Geographie Schweiz
Magazine Title
Access(Rights)
restricted