[Event Recap] Thea Riofrancos
By Jack Walker
Despite it being a weeknight during a hectic time in the semester as we approach Reading Week, 10 HUCEG members took time out of their schedule to join the in-person watch party for the Thea Riofrancos virtual speaker event. More members joined via Zoom, and collectively, they made for a wonderful audience!
Thea’s presentation catered to the breadth of interest within HUCEG for the total implications of the transition to alternative energy sources--beyond just the technological innovations. Being a political scientist rather than someone devoted to pure STEM applications, Thea presented her research into the socio-economic and policy impacts of mineral extraction for “Green” technologies. Moreover, she elaborated on the risks and dangers currently present on the lithium-ion battery supply chain--which stand in the way of a truly sustainable energy transition.
The beginning of Thea’s presentation touched on these very concerns, including labor abuse and negligence, lack of a comprehensive due diligence mandate for extraction activities, water supply contamination, international conflicts among resource supply control, and corporate overstepping in regards to the concern of local populations to mining operations.
To provide more context to these issues, Thea detailed the geographic distribution of lithium deposits, as well as the two main methods of extraction: hard rock and brine. This information set the stage for Thea’s description of the global lithium supply market, mentioning China’s market dominance, the “Lithium Triangle” in South America, Australia’s extensive hard rock supply, and both the European Union and United States’ efforts to establish a domestic lithium supply.
As it pertains to the last point, described her recent trip to Nevada to conduct field research in an area deemed crucial to America’s transportation electrification efforts. In particular, her trip was spurred by an interest to uncover more about the ongoing controversy surrounding the proposed Thacker Pass lithium mine.
Overall, it was a fantastic event that benefited from the creative hybrid in-person and virtual event components. HUCEG members who would like to learn more are encouraged to reach out to Thea via email (thea.riofrancos@gmail.com)!