World's largest known deposit found in Nevada. What it means for our energy future

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Good morning everyone,

We’re waking up to a big-ish week on the world stage.

High level talks at the U.N. General Assembly begin today. It’s the annual meeting where some of the world’s most powerful leaders descend upon New York City to debate and establish their priorities for the coming year. President Biden and the leaders of most countries will be in attendance this year; others decided they had better things to do, we’re looking at your India, France, China, Russia and the UK. (See Mo News Premium Instagram for a deep-dive on the history of the UN’s descent into irrelevance.)

On the agenda: sustainability, finances, health, climate, hunger— the usual.

One big thing: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy plans to attend the UNGA for his first in-person appearance since his war began. He is also expected to meet with with President Biden at the White House on Thursday.

And for New Yorkers — get ready for street closures, traffic jams, and headaches.

Mosheh, Jill, & Courtney

🗞 THE MODERN DAY GOLD RUSH?

An ancient volcano that was the site of a massive eruption millions of years ago may have the potential to propel the U.S. to become the global leader in lithium production — an essential component in the clean energy future.

LITHIUM IS THE NEW GOLD
The rare metal is a key ingredient in building the rechargeable batteries that power smartphones and electric vehicles. The timing is ideal, as electric vehicle demand is expected to soar in the coming years. So, if we want to rev up EV production here at home, this discovery could make that possible.

WHERE IS IT?
Scientists think they may have discovered the world’s largest lithium deposit in the McDermitt Caldera, a large volcanic crater located along the Nevada-Oregon border. Volcanologists and geologists think the lithium could be trapped in thick clay underneath the volcano’s crater.

The caldera was formed when a now-extinct volcano erupted about 16 million years ago. During the explosion, the hot liquid magma that spewed through the cracks in the ground created lithium inside the volcanic rock. If the magnitude of this discovery is accurate, and if the lithium is easy to extract (both big ifs) then a volcanic eruption that happened eons ago will have helped shape the future of green energy and technology. 🤯

WHY THIS IS SO IMPORTANT
Scientists believe the McDermitt Caldera contains around 20 to 40 million metric tons of lithium — that’s more than double the lithium deposits found beneath a Bolivian salt flat, currently home to the world's largest lithium reserve. And, for context, the amount of lithium produced last year was about 130 thousand metric tons total… across the entire globe. The caldera is believed to hold 8 times that amount.

This means a couple things:

The U.S. could be sitting on enough lithium to meet the world’s demand for decades.
The U.S., which currently only has one active lithium mine, may no longer have to rely on other countries for the majority of its lithium.

GLOBAL COMPETITION
America ranks in the top five countries with the most lithium reserves, but only makes up 1% of lithium production worldwide. The U.S. is nearly completely reliant on other countries for lithium, making us vulnerable to supply chain disruptions like we saw during the pandemic.

The Chinese are already dominating the lithium race. Their companies have already spent billions buying up lithium from mines around the globe. So the McDermitt Caldera deposit could potentially shift that balance of power.

BUT MINING IT COULD POSE A CHALLENGE
The lithium found in the McDermitt Caldera won’t be out of the ground and inside batteries manufactured in America for a while. Lithium Americas, the company that funded the research to identify this deposit, told Chemistry World it expects to begin mining at the site in 2026, and it’s TBD on how complex, and expensive, the process of extracting usable lithium from clay will be. If and when the lithium is actually unearthed, it will then need to be processed, and specific facilities are required for that (similar to oil refineries).

AND IT COMES WITH COSTS
While the global rush to mine more lithium from the ground could be a game changer for clean energy, it could spell trouble for the environment. The project has drawn protests from ranchers and environmental groups because it could contaminate billions of gallons of ground water, leave behind a massive amount of waste, and pose a danger to precious wildlife habitats.

Plans to mine there are also steeped in controversy, and have been contested by some Native American tribes who say the land is sacred. "We can't flush out all of the water from out of here and rip up all the grass, and the sage brush and flip it around and call it green energy," Gary McKinney, one of the tribal activists, told NPR. However, US courts have recently ruled against the tribes and in favor of mining companies.

“
“We understand that all of us must be committed to fighting climate change. Fighting climate change, however, cannot be used as yet another excuse to destroy native land. We cannot protect the environment by destroying it.”
People of Red Mountain, in a Statement of Opposition to the mine, in 2021

✔︎ Mo News Reality Check: The discovery is a potential game changer as the US and globe double down on electric vehicles and rechargeable batteries in the fight to curb CO2 emissions.

Though, it is not enough to just have the lithium assets. The US also is dire need of building up production capacity to take those raw materials and produce lithium that is ready for consumer and industrial goods.

At the same time, the fight over the land illustrates the divide in the world over the push for ‘clean energy’ solutions that may not be so clean for the land, water and wildlife where the mining takes place.

⏳ SPEED READ

🚨NATION

📌 Democrats’ weird answers on Kamala Harris: Top lawmakers seem shy about saying she would be the best running mate (WASHINGTON POST)

📌 Autoworker strike continues after union rejects 20% pay increase (CBS)

📌 Tens of thousands march to demand end to fossil fuels ahead of U.N. climate summit (NBC)

📌 Lauren Boebert defends ‘Beetlejuice’ ejection after groping, vaping: ‘I was a little too eccentric’(THE HILL)

📌 Two people charged with murder after 1 year old dies from fentanyl exposure at daycare (NBC)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

📌 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gifted bulletproof vest and drones as he leaves Russia (CNN)

📌 The Italian island where thousands of migrants have arrived in just a matter of days (SKY NEWS)

📌 U.S. and Chinese officials meet to discuss Ukraine and other flashpoints (NY TIMES)

📌 Iran women one year after Mahsa Amini death: “I wear what I want” (BBC NEWS)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

📌 Salary transparency law goes into effect across New York state (CBS NEWS)

📌 You can update your iPhone with iOS 17 today. Here’s what to know (USA TODAY)

📌 Antarctic sea-ice at 'mind-blowing' low alarms experts (BBC)

📌 Soyuz docks at International Space Station with two Russians, one American (FOX NEWS)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

📌 Drew Barrymore halts talk show return after backlash, will resume when strike ends (VARIETY)

📌 Russell Brand denies accusations of ‘egregious’ sexual assaults (NY TIMES)

📌 Which is better? ChatGPT or a travel agent (CNBC)

📌 Rolling Stone co-founder removed from Rock & Roll Hall leadership after comments about Black, female musicians (CNN)

🗓 ON THIS DAY: SEPTEMBER 18

1793: U.S. President George Washington laid the cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol. The building would take nearly a century to complete, as architects came and went, the British nearly burned it down in 1814 and it was called into use by the Union during the Civil War.

1947: The United States Air Force was established as a separate military branch after 40 years as part of the US Army.
1964: ‘The Addams Family’ TV show originally premiered on ABC.
2020: Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who was the second woman to serve on the Court died at age 87.