{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"","title":"The Weekend Intelligence: In search of Lithium Valley","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/62e286a934d4d93d6587424a/1775889966738-8bc2eec5-c536-4179-8ee5-cab9de8ef499.jpeg?height=200","description":"

Reporter David Weinberg takes us to the desert of Southern California, where geologists have discovered half a trillion dollars worth of lithium trapped in a toxic brine deep beneath the state’s largest lake. The system to extract it has never been tried before. Will profits trickle down to fix the broken infrastructure, provide much needed new jobs and save the Salton Sea? Or will property values skyrocket, drive the locals out of town and environmental hazards emerge from this unprecedented experiment?


Topics covered:


Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+


For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.


Music by bluedot Sessions and Epidemic Sound.


This podcast transcript is generated by third-party AI. It has not been reviewed prior to publication. We make no representations or warranties in relation to the transcript, its accuracy or its completeness, and we disclaim all liability regarding its receipt, content and use. If you have any concerns about the transcript, please email us at podcasts@economist.com.

Read more about how we are using AI.


","author_name":"The Economist"}