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Thousands of people have joined a massive protest against lithium mining in Serbia, and it is becoming a big problem for the country's Prime Minister.
Deep under multiple farms located in a beautiful, blooming valley lie some of the largest lithium deposits in Europe, and it has been a major topic of controversy recently. Lithium is widely used in battery-powered machines like electric cars and almost all technology, and it will only get more popular as the world slowly shifts away from fossil fuels. This does mean that more lithium will need to be mined, and these massive deposits could be the key to boosting Serbia's lithium exports and speeding up the country's shift to more sustainable practices. However, the creation of a mine would mean widespread destruction of the natural valley, completely destroying the land that has been passed down through generations to the farmers who currently own the area. In fact, some studies have shown that the exploratory tests conducted by the mining company, Rio Tinto, have already significantly impacted the surrounding environment. Rio Tinto has also been called out in previous years for damaging the environment and multiple human rights violations, portraying that they may not be as trustworthy as they seem.
To protest the planned mines, tens of thousands of people showed up to a huge protest on Saturday, but Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić claimed that the protests were purely political, set up by some sort of other organization, possibly attached to China or Russia. The mining of lithium would decrease Serbia's dependency on the two for lithium, strengthening its ties with the EU.
The Jadar Valley contains over 158 million tons of lithium, which is around 17% of the total amount of lithium in Europe. Obtaining those massive resources could immensely speed up the country's trajectory towards becoming more sustainable while helping other countries do the same as well. However, mining it could have a devastating impact on the surrounding environment. The final question is, to mine or not to mine? Tell us in the poll below.
Should Rio Tinto mine the Jadar Valley?
Yes
No
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