>>”At some point, we’re going to have to develop a reasonably safe method of extracting the lithium from lithium batteries.”<<
Put that “at some point” wish on the list right behind maintaining and monitoring spent nuclear fuel, and cleaning up leaky EPA “Superfund” sites (Camp Lejeune comes to mind, heard of it recently?)
[Just what we need, another energy source that creates more problems than it solves.]
Unless you think open-pit lithium mines visible from space are cool. And their toxic-to-infinity poisonous tailing ponds. I’m sure all that glowing goo will just stay in those ponds forever, nice and safe. No farms or cities need fear them getting into the ground water, I’m certain.
Even safer than the old “EPA Superfund” water at Camp Lejeune. And a thousand other Camp Lejeunes that don’t have the lawyer-power, that are slowly killing people by cancer across the world today.
[By comparison, managing spent nuclear fuel rods is a piece of cake.]
Spent nuclear fuel rods can be and should be reprocessed and fissionable materials extracted for re-use. That’s what the Savannah River site was originally set up for. JIMMY CARTER (piss be upon him) put an end to that before it even got started. I hope you’re not casting your lot with the likes of that ‘rat.