Beware Peak Lithium!

As we all know, Peak Oil is becoming a more and more pressing concern as time goes on.  But down the road lies an even bigger threat to mankind…  PEAK LITHIUM!

Lithium, lightest of the elements to be a solid under normal conditions on Earth, is a heavily used substance.  And, should mankind take the ill step of using lithium-ion batteries in the next generation of vehicles, the rate will increase dramatically.  Already an impressive amount of lithium is being used on such batteries.  Lithium is also one of the first lines of treatment for Bipolar Disorder.

Currently, generic lithium carbonate pills can be purchased in the United States for around $100 for 60 300mg pills.  Lithium is plentiful.  We aren’t taxing the available supplies anywhere near their reserves.  Even with the enormous number of batteries and other devices that incorporate lithium, we use an minuscule percent of what we can easily mine.  But what about when we convert over to electric cars?

There are currently millions of cars in the US being sold annually.  Some meet their demise due to being involved in collisions.  Some are resold.  Some simply get parked in a field and left to rust out.  If all these vehicles were to use lithium ion batteries our lithium consumption would sky-rocket!

In just a few* years, lithium levels would start to run dangerously low.  Prices would sky-rocket.  Lower income families would be unable to afford prescription lithium.  Millions of bipolar sufferers would no longer be able to afford a very effective and relatively safe treatment option.  Society would collapse as lithium production grinds to a halt from supply being far from capable of meeting demands.  New technology would need to be developed within a short time-frame to avoid civilization itself from being destroyed.

I URGE you, every reader, to just say “NO” to lithium ion batteries!  They will destroy the planet and civilization!  Bipolar will become an even more expensive mental illness to live with.  Mining operations will increase, further raping the planet.  Peak Lithium will be worse than Peak Oil could ever be!  Mobile phones (AKA cell phones) typically have lithium as an important component.  Do you want these life-saving tools to go away?  Lithium already has a tremendous number of uses.  We cannot afford to tax this valuable element further!

*”A few” is on a geological timescale, not a human timescale.

NOTE: All numbers (implied or otherwise), with the exception of lithium carbonate prices, are pulled directly from my ass and are not to be taken at face value.

NOTE FOR THE CLUELESS: This isn’t serious in the least and is complete satire.  It is (obviously) a parallel of the very real problem known as Peak Oil.

~ by napoleontheclown on November 18, 2007.