The Nevada lithium mine would give the U.S. a huge boost in capacity to produce batteries, so this is an example of a conflict between local species and global systems that is going to become much more common as we move to a zero carbon economy. The lithium mine is supposed to reclaim the land as they go, so hopefully they can establish new populations of the buckwheat before they take the source plants. The ESA Section 6 has a "Safe Harbor" provision that would allow such action.
The Nevada lithium mine would give the U.S. a huge boost in capacity to produce batteries, so this is an example of a conflict between local species and global systems that is going to become much more common as we move to a zero carbon economy. The lithium mine is supposed to reclaim the land as they go, so hopefully they can establish new populations of the buckwheat before they take the source plants. The ESA Section 6 has a "Safe Harbor" provision that would allow such action.