Want to Save Tibet? Scrap the Lithium

by Andrea Millar — April 6, 2008

It may not be blessed by the Dalai Lama, but your laptop may have a little piece of Tibet in it. The Environmental News Network reported this week on Tibet as the prime place for lithium mining and production. Lithium is what gives your dime-sized mp3 player the power to go throughout all those five hour runs you're surely contemplating now that the weather is warmer. The majority of lithium is currently extracted from brine lakes, and one of the biggest in the world sits at an idyllic 14,000 feet in Tibet's autonomous zone, making it a number one source worldwide. There is also a wealth of other natural resources nestled in Tibet--think of all those mountains--including Chromium iron, geothermal energy sources, and oil reserves. (Good luck with that last one, guys.)

With news of violence and riots recently leaked from the controversial region in the run-up to the Olympics, you may want to explore other options in your battery choices. That, and the other pesky quality of lithium batteries, which is their tendency to explode. Remember all those laptop battery recalls in 2007? Manufacturers continue to have issues with lithium stability, a significant issue when contemplating production of alternative fuel sources. The success of the 135-mpg Tesla Roadster rests on a large lithium battery, but auto maker Toyota recently announced a move away from lithium and towards alternative substances. They hope to have a zinc-air battery in their vehicles by 2020 (yeah, zinc-air...don't ask me how that works). Meanwhile, California company ZPower is attempting to break the lithium standard with their zinc-silver oxide matrix. With the high cost of silver, recycling is an essential part of their business plan, allowing them to keep costs down by reclaiming the silver used in production. And with stability up to 700°, using zinc also means no flaming laptops.