arstechnica ,
@arstechnica@mastodon.social avatar

Fracking wastewater has “shocking” amount of clean-energy mineral lithium

40% of US need for lithium could be covered by Pennsylvania's fracking byproduct.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/05/fracking-wastewater-has-shocking-amount-of-clean-energy-mineral-lithium/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

JoeBecomeTheSun ,

@arstechnica All that needs to happen is a startup to realize the value of this water and start buying it in bulk to refine the minerals. Another option would be to produce lithium and beryllium in fusors. Who cares if these fusors don't produce electricity, the lithium, tritium and beryllium is what we are after here.

LinuxAndYarn ,
@LinuxAndYarn@mastodon.social avatar

@arstechnica I heard about this on the local radio and thought we were just going to get more fracking with lithium as the goal instead of a byproduct of natural gas.

farbel ,
@farbel@mas.to avatar

@arstechnica The fracking industry refuses to reveal what is in the solution they inject into the rock. How do we know they aren't simply putting lithium down there in the first place?

Ehay2k ,
@Ehay2k@mastodon.social avatar

@arstechnica
If extracting the lithium is more environmentally friendly than dumping the wastewater (or whatever they do with it now) I'm all for this.

But if it's not better for the planet's health, and mainly an excuse to frack more, I'm against it.

eldubuu ,
@eldubuu@mastodon.social avatar

@arstechnica

So, if we are to believe the fossil gas industry, America could satisfy 100% of domestic lithium demand by tripling the amount of fracking.

Seems legit.

What could go worng?

gilgwath ,
@gilgwath@social.tchncs.de avatar

@arstechnica Is it a good thing to give these oil sharks another reason to ruine the environment and pollute drinking water etc.?

suedorazio ,
@suedorazio@mas.to avatar

@arstechnica
Don't mind the earthquakes!

tlariv ,
@tlariv@mastodon.cloud avatar

@arstechnica
"Clean-energy mineral"

Luna ,
@Luna@mastodon.world avatar

@arstechnica The good news you don't need Chinese lithium the bad news the water is no longer drinkable from fracking.

Chancerubbage ,
@Chancerubbage@mastodon.social avatar

@arstechnica

As long as this research wasn’t funded/faked by the oil industry. They simply can’t be trusted. They lie.

epu ,
@epu@mstdn.social avatar

@arstechnica gotta be honest, headline and summary feels like reporter taking an oil industry flak’s phone call and running with it. Reserving judgement for the article

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