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Why are lithium prices collapsing?

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Re: Why are lithium prices collapsing?

#201
post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Gas stoves need to go away because getting rid of gas infrastructure in the long term will be a huge win, but the gas industry spends heavily on propaganda to convince people otherwise: https://youtube.com/watch?v=hX2aZUav-54

If gas infrastructure is the problem, why focus on gas stoves and not gas water heaters and furnaces?

No one is banning gas stoves. They’re banning gas hookups which will indeed remove gas water heaters and furnaces.

The fact that NY’s decision to ban gas hookups in new buildings is being framed as banning gas stoves is in itself the result of gas industry propaganda. In fact, Gas stoves are the one thing that can easily be continued because people can use gas cylinders.

Re: Why are lithium prices collapsing?

#202
post #111

The space is saturated with anti-EV FUD.

> A legacy of the Pinochet era in Chile is the privatisation of minerals and water, which gives companies ownership of those resources in an area. While mining operations squeeze this already dry region even drier, communities lose their access to potable water, leaving them relying on tankers to deliver it. “We used to have a river before that now doesn’t exist. There isn’t a drop of water,” says Rivera. “And not on…

As a former citizen of the USSR, I have to object to linking environmental issues to private property. The Soviets did all kinds of tremendously bad things ranking, from geo-transformation to placing the heavy industry in the middle of cities. From what I read about North Korea, the entire country is ruined by various extraction and industrial projects.

Re: Why are lithium prices collapsing?

#203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If gas infrastructure is the problem, why focus on gas stoves and not gas water heaters and furnaces?

Why not all three? Just stop using gas altogether. I pass enough of it myself, thanks. Edit: why am I being downvoted? Is it not a legitimate question to ask why not go all the way with converting to electric when appliances exist for all three use cases? Do my farts stink too bad?

Because gas stoves are the easiest to replace. If someone doesn't have gas lines in their house, they'll just use an electric stove. Replacing a water heater or furnace either needs heat pumps or resistive heat and it becomes potentially much more expensive.

Stoves don't matter in the big picture here, they are secondary to whatever people are already doing for heat.

Re: Why are lithium prices collapsing?

#204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same thing happens with the gas stove threads. I can’t believe that actual people are that invested in burning hydrocarbons.

For serious chefs, gas ranges remain far superior to their electric counterparts. I’ll be the first in line to buy an induction cooktop that performs as well as a high end gas range, but we’re not there yet.

They can continue using gas stoves with cylinders.

Most of the world does that.

Of course, what actually serious chefs find is that once the subsidy for gas is removed (by removing legislation requiring utilities and buildings to provide piped natural gas), not only are induction stoves much more effective, cook faster, etc., they also keep their kitchens incredibly cool and make them much better work environments than having a bunch of gas burners around.

For the restaurants that need woks they can use a gas stove and have a gas cylinder shipped in every morning.

Re: Why are lithium prices collapsing?

#205

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> A legacy of the Pinochet era in Chile is the privatisation of minerals and water, which gives companies ownership of those resources in an area. While mining operations squeeze this already dry region even drier, communities lose their access to potable water, leaving them relying on tankers to deliver it. “We used to have a river before that now doesn’t exist. There isn’t a drop of water,” says Rivera. “And not on…

Chile has just nationalised lithium I believe

They've announced plans to do so and those plans have issues and wil take time:

> While Chile's plan to take control of its lithium industry has caused global shockwaves, state-led production of the metal used to make electric vehicle batteries is seen by analysts as likely years away given technical and political challenges.

~ Reuters

Re: Why are lithium prices collapsing?

#206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For serious chefs, gas ranges remain far superior to their electric counterparts. I’ll be the first in line to buy an induction cooktop that performs as well as a high end gas range, but we’re not there yet.

For home use, induction is far superior. More intense heat, less heating the room, no fumes, much easier to clean, etc etc etc

[deleted]

Re: Why are lithium prices collapsing?

#207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> When the information asymmetry is deliberately created, that's being done in bad faith, and is the sort of thing we call fraud when done on an individual level. What information asymmetry? The previous comments referred to speculators betting on price movements. Deliberately creating fraudulent information asymmetry would be altering data in industry reports and publishing false manufacture/consumption data. Which,…

By, for example, deliberately delaying delivery while owning a significant segment of the available commodity, such as Goldman Sachs did with aluminum a decade ago. [1], while simultaneously selling derivatives based on the very commodities they were manipulating. To the best of my knowledge, there were no consequences - if anyone knows of a financial penalty or change to law or regulations, please share! 1. https://…

I agree that there is concern of malfeasance in that scenario, but I was under the impression the context of the discussion was solely around the purchase and sale of contracts for the commodities (i.e. betting on the future price of a commodity), not manipulation of the actual supply and demand.

Re: Why are lithium prices collapsing?

#208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Gas stoves and plastic straws are distractions, they don't matter either way.

Gas stoves matter as far as indoor air quality and giving people asthma/allergies goes.

Do you have a source for gas stoves giving people allergies?

Re: Why are lithium prices collapsing?

#209
post #111

The space is saturated with anti-EV FUD.

> A legacy of the Pinochet era in Chile is the privatisation of minerals and water, which gives companies ownership of those resources in an area. While mining operations squeeze this already dry region even drier, communities lose their access to potable water, leaving them relying on tankers to deliver it. “We used to have a river before that now doesn’t exist. There isn’t a drop of water,” says Rivera. “And not on…

Lithium is not the only cause of aquifer depletion in Chile, avocado farms have also been responsible for depleting the wells of residents [1].

These outcomes, as the article alludes to, are due to the privatization of resource rights, which is a consequence of Pinochet government going all in on the policies Milton Friedman promoted [2].

Citizens of Chile are more victims of neoliberalism than they are of any particular industry.

[1] https://www.lifegate.com/avocado-chile-water

[2] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_of_Chile

Re: Why are lithium prices collapsing?

#210
post #111

The space is saturated with anti-EV FUD.

> A legacy of the Pinochet era in Chile is the privatisation of minerals and water, which gives companies ownership of those resources in an area. While mining operations squeeze this already dry region even drier, communities lose their access to potable water, leaving them relying on tankers to deliver it. “We used to have a river before that now doesn’t exist. There isn’t a drop of water,” says Rivera. “And not on…

> We used to have a river before that now doesn’t exist. There isn’t a drop of water,” says Rivera. “And not only here in Copiapó but in all of Chile, there are rivers and lakes that have disappeared

It’s more likely that climate change was responsible for this problem.

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