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Iran discovers world’s second largest lithium reserve

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Re: Iran discovers world’s second largest lithium reserve

#241
post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The current government wasn't "welcomed in". They seized control by murdering all of the moderates and democrats.

This is not true. They were widely welcomed, including by many many people who quickly became disillusioned and/or left.

There was a whole series of other opposition groups that fought in the revolution and a whole clerical faction that backed other groups and opposed Khomeini, like Mahmoud Taleghani who mysteriously died in 1979. While Khomeini centralized the opposition, it wasn't without violence. A lot of people seem to have believed he was little more than a figure head for the revolution and would step aside when the shah was gone and that the Bazargan government would pick up where Mosaddegh had left off. Before Bazargan even stepped down the Revolutionary Committees were disappearing critics and the Hezbollahi were beating journalists.

Re: Iran discovers world’s second largest lithium reserve

#242
I thought earth stores of lithium weren't the problem.

The problem was no-one wants to extract it for the bare minimum prices it will produce.

Exact same fallacy as with oil, ie. in the US it's only profitable to frack when the price per barrel is fetching more than $50

Re: Iran discovers world’s second largest lithium reserve

#243

Earlier quoted context omitted.

also interesting to divert interests from oil in this region, if they can prosper on lithium it may loosen some tensions

The tensions don't exist because of its oil. They exist because of their natural resources which may or may not include oil. Look all over africa for examples. Being rich in natural resources is a bit like being a really hot girl around a bunch of abusive predatory men. They'll shower her with gifts and tell her how amazing she is until she says: "no, I don't want to sleep with you" and all hell breaks loose.

western economists unironically call it the resource curse: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resource_curse

examples include Saudi Arabia, Norway and Alaska. Oh no wait bad examples.

Re: Iran discovers world’s second largest lithium reserve

#246
post #220
post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe even ocean water is a potential source of Lithium if we ever get constrained on more direct sources. Unfortunately it's not really Lithium holding back EVs, it's Cobalt and a few other rare earth metals. Also not sure how much having Lithium locked up in a heavily sanctioned country will help the big battery manufacturers. Edit: typos

> Also not sure how much having Lithium locked up in a heavily sanctioned country will help the big battery manufacturers To put my cynic’s hat on: Having something the super powers want sounds like a great way to stop being so sanctioned. Great negotiating leverage.

Or a great way to get yourself invaded by said superpower.

Re: Iran discovers world’s second largest lithium reserve

#248

A strong argument for the existence of a diety is hilarious-if-true outcomes like the Ayatollah getting to have both oil & lithium to remain fully hedged through the EV transition. Too improbable for a fictional movie, but here we are. Life, as always, is stranger than fiction.

It feels off-brand for a deity’s existence to be suggested by how much they behave like Santa Claus.

Really depends on the brand. American consumerism (but not only American consumerism) has produced a peculiar brand indeed

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosperity_theology

Re: Iran discovers world’s second largest lithium reserve

#249

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> > The degree to which we’ve been blessed with resources and opportunity to do the right thing (and have consistently chosen to do the dumb thing) never fails to amaze me It’s the curse of natural resources. When you have “the stuff” you feel like you don’t need to talk to others, spending time and human resources on talks and diplomatic relationships. In the context of global politics, military and intelligence whe…

that curse doesn't hurt the US, Canada, Australia, Norway, or many other resource rich nations

It's almost as if some cultural mechanism was there in place to limit the public display of ego. Some kind of religion maybe?

Re: Iran discovers world’s second largest lithium reserve

#250
post #186

Pop quiz: name the world’s largest producer of lithium. Lithium production is important but lithium is not the next oil. It’s not going to dominate the world economy. There aren’t going to be wars fought over it. And we will ultimately extract plenty of it to build EVs.

China.
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