Parts of Chile are facing a growing water crisis. The Reuters news agency reports the government is taking steps to protect the country’s water supplies from mining operations. But for many years, the Chilean government approved water extraction rights with little consideration for their effect on the environment. Mining companies were quick to claim the water available in the salt flats of the Salar de Atacama. The Salar sits in the world’s driest desert. The water trapped below feeds the biggest copper mine in the world. The mine holds more than one-third of the world’s known supply of lithium, a very light metal. Lithium is used to power batteries in electric vehicles. It also is used in mobile phones and laptop computers. Lithium can be extracted from water found in mines. However, demand for water has grown so much that the Chilean government is trying to limit its usage. No one really knows how much water there is in the Salar de Atcama area. Oscar Cristi was recently appointed head of Chile’s water authority. He says the development agency Corfo hopes to provide more information after it releases a study in December.
Title: Demand for Lithium Creates ‘Water War’ in Chile
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2777/3b0af63e-24ee-446f-a547-f13fe077f0de_hq.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Demand for Lithium Creates Water War in Chile' data-article-id='3335'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='4167'>Parts of Chile are facing a growing water crisis.</span> <span data-start-time='4167' data-end-time='13125'>The Reuters news agency reports the government is taking steps to protect the country’s water supplies from mining operations.</span> <span data-start-time='13125' data-end-time='23042'>But for many years, the Chilean government approved water extraction rights with little consideration for their effect on the environment.</span> <span data-start-time='23042' data-end-time='33250'>Mining companies were quick to claim the water available in the salt flats of the Salar de Atacama.</span> <span data-start-time='33250' data-end-time='35333'>The Salar sits in the world’s driest desert.</span> <span data-start-time='35333' data-end-time='40792'>The water trapped below feeds the biggest copper mine in the world.</span> <span data-start-time='40792' data-end-time='48354'>The mine holds more than one-third of the world’s known supply of lithium, a very light metal.</span> <span data-start-time='48354' data-end-time='52792'>Lithium is used to power batteries in electric vehicles.</span> <span data-start-time='52792' data-end-time='57729'>It also is used in mobile phones and laptop computers.</span> <span data-start-time='57729' data-end-time='62208'>Lithium can be extracted from water found in mines.</span> <span data-start-time='62208' data-end-time='69729'>However, demand for water has grown so much that the Chilean government is trying to limit its usage.</span> <span data-start-time='69729' data-end-time='76042'>No one really knows how much water there is in the Salar de Atcama area.</span> <span data-start-time='76042' data-end-time='82354'>Oscar Cristi was recently appointed head of Chile’s water authority.</span> <span data-start-time='82354' data-end-time='91375'>He says the development agency Corfo hopes to provide more information after it releases a study in December.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2777/B891A210-D6FD-4C8A-A16F-FA65DA4AC93E_cx0_cy10_cw0_w1023_r1_s.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=11418 data-hint-location='52792' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2777/what_does_mobile_mean.wav'>What does mobile mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='able to be moved'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2777/immovable.wav'><span>immovable</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2777/able_to_be_moved.wav'><span>able to be moved</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2777/electronic.wav'><span>electronic</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2777/solar_powered.wav'><span>solar powered</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=11419 data-hint-location='35333' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2777/the_water_trapped_below_feeds_the_biggest_what_in_the_world.wav'>The water trapped below feeds the biggest what in the world?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='copper mine'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2777/copper_mine.wav'><span>copper mine</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2777/snake.wav'><span>snake</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2777/ocean.wav'><span>ocean</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2777/continent.wav'><span>continent</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=11420 data-hint-location='57729' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2777/lithium_can_be_extracted_from__blank__found_in_mines.wav'>Lithium can be extracted from <span class='blank'>water</span> found in mines.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='water'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2777/copper.wav'><span>copper</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2777/aluminum.wav'><span>aluminum</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2777/lava.wav'><span>lava</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2777/water.wav'><span>water</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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