08-11-23
Today's commentary on various articles and events
Orientation for new readers regarding the underlying research and data for this blog
Given the extraction requirements and neocolonial labor issues, are lithium batteries an ecological improvement over internal combustion engines?Exxon in talks with Tesla, Ford, VW on supplying lithium
The rapid global roll out of electric vehicles has raised the risk of bottlenecks and shortages for key battery materials like lithium, sparking a rush to invest in and secure supply. The world will need nearly 60 new lithium mines and plants to feed the growing demand for the shift away from fossil fuels, according to researcher Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, and more lithium will be required in 2030 than was mined between 2015 and 2022.
Chevron Corp., Occidental Petroleum Corp. and SLB, the world’s biggest oil-services provider, have all said they’re considering or actively exploring opportunities in the metal. And the automakers themselves have also been putting down money — General Motors earlier this year announced a $650 million investment in a lithium developer.
Exxon, which has set a goal of extracting 100,000 tons of lithium per year, is exploring a 10-acre site in Arkansas and recently began drilling wells there, but has yet to decide if it wants to produce it on its own or partner with others …
Hemp Batteries are Eight Times More Powerful than Lithium, Scientists Discover
Hemp Batteries Better Than Lithium And Graphene
Since there are cheaper and less environmentally and politically costly materials by which to manufacture EV batteries, and which meet or exceed the same technical standards as lithium, the question arises why lithium is the material of choice by the cartel’s global corporate power pyramid.
‘No Lithium for US’, Nigeria deals a multibillion-dollar jolt to America’s EV industry
China beats Tesla to Nigeria’s lithium riches
China already controls 60% of the world’s lithium processing. Now it’s exploring new frontiers to expand its dominance.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), China already controls 60% of the world’s lithium processing and is exploring new frontiers, like Nigeria, to expand its dominance. Kaduna is one of several Nigerian states with lithium deposits. At least seven other states in the country are confirmed to have the mineral — essential in the manufacturing of EV batteries — in commercial quantities.
The Nigerian government has relied significantly on funding from China for several landmark projects, including the Abuja Light Rail project, planned terminal expansions at four major airports, and the National Public Security Communications System project.
The dependence on lithium seems to be based on the strategy of neocolonial asset theft, which is outdated and problematic; for example, the failed coup in Bolivia and the failed war in Afghanistan. Where will the cartel turn next? Apparently, Exxon has its sights set on Arkansas, rather than hemp.
Speaking of Nigeria, a coup d’état has recently taken place in its neighbor Niger, which has booted France and its long-standing imperialist control over Niger’s natural and human resources. The local folks are celebrating in the streets.
Niger Coup: Junta Scraps Military Deals with Former Colonizer France
If the Junta is able to stay in power, France’s supply of uranium will be seriously affected, threatening its ability to supply electrical power to its domestic grid from its nuclear generating stations. Niger is also rich in diamonds, gold, and oil. The French utilize child labor to extract much of this. The Italian Prime Minister minced no words regarding France’s policies.
Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Goes Viral Again After Niger Coup
While Nigeria may be developing its lithium with China, it is still in the pocket of the banking cartel and is leading other puppet regimes against the Niger coup.
African neighbors finalize Niger war plans
The Economic Community of West African States has already sanctioned the junta in Niamey over last week’s military coup and demanded the restoration of ousted president Mohamed Bazoum before Sunday. …
Musah added that the final decision will be made at the political level, but that ECOWAS will not telegraph when and where it will strike.
“ECOWAS will not be used for coups. Democracy is what we stand for and democracy is what we will sustain,” General Christopher Gwabin Musa, chief of Nigeria’s defense staff, told AP.
On Thursday, Bazoum appealed directly to the US to intervene. Washington has some 1,000 troops in Niger, engaged in counter-terrorism operations against Islamist groups that arose after NATO’s 2011 regime change intervention in Libya. Niger’s former colonial master France has another 1,500 troops on the same mission.
The Nigerien junta repudiated all military treaties with France on Thursday, and sacked the country’s ambassadors to the US, France, Togo and Nigeria. Paris and Washington have said they do not intend to remove their troops from the country, and only recognized Bazoum as the legitimate leader.
Niger, in turn, is seeking help from Wagner, the private Russian military organization that handily subdued NATO’s Ukrainian mercenaries.
Niger junta turns to Wagner for help
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani says they have seen no signs of Russian involvement in the coup.
No evidence Russia involved in Niger coup – Italian FM
Although, as we noted in a recent post, much of Africa has military agreements with Russia, and Wagner has been active in Africa for years.
Niger closes airspace amid invasion threat
The US and EU have imposed sanctions on Niger following the coup, and France has declared that it backs ECOWAS’ efforts to bring Bazoum – an ally of Paris – back into power. However, the French government has not explicitly stated whether it supports direct military intervention.
The coup leaders enjoy considerable public support and are backed by the governments of Mali and Burkina Faso, both of whose governments seized power in a recent wave of anti-French unrest. Both countries have promised to treat any ECOWAS incursion as a declaration of war against them.
Given the sentiments of Niger’s people and the charges leveled by the Italian prime minister, the Anglo-Euro-American cartel is facing severe challenges should it attempt to reinstall its puppet, Bazoum. Such an action will drive more African nations to Russia for help.
Following up on our last post regarding the various fronts in which the US is actively engaged in war, the illegal occupation of 1/3 of Syria by US troops is another hot spot:
Syrian special forces conduct first-ever night drills with Russian air force
The Kremlin has stepped up joint drills with the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) to confront US and Turkish-backed armed groups over the past several months. This level of cooperation has put Russia head to head with the US occupation army, which currently controls about a third of Syria with the help of multiple proxy militias. …
… the Pentagon has significantly reinforced its presence in bases inside occupied oil fields in northeast Syria, including with High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and thermal surveillance cameras, while deploying multiple jet fighter squadrons to neighboring Jordan and the Persian Gulf. Moreover, the Pentagon has plans to deploy at least 2,500 extra troops to northern Syria to support Kurdish proxy militias.
The excuse given by the US for its occupation of one-third of Syria is that they are fighting al Qaeda and ISIS, mercenaries that the CIA organizes and controls. In actuality, the US is in Syria to steal oil and prevent Syria from benefiting from its best farmland.
Russian Exports Increased After the End of the Grain Agreement
… President Vladimir Putin assures that Russia can replace Ukraine as the world's supplier of grain, arguing that his country produces much more grain than its neighbor.
During the Africa-Russia summit carried out last week, the Russian leader promised to deliver free grain cargoes to Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, the Central African Republic, and Eritrea. So far this year, Russia has shipped nearly 10 million tons to Africa …
Prior to Russia ending safe passage for Ukrainian ships, Ukraine was not delivering grain to poor countries as promised and, along with their puppet masters, the US, using the ships for military purposes.
Meanwhile, in India, the cartel’s agro-petro-chemical eugenicists are profiting from poisoning the food supply.
Science & Public Interest Halt the Push for GM Crops in India- Approval by Contamination?
Russian drone strike on Ukrainian port of Reni ‘an indirect attack on Romania, Moldova’
Given the direct attacks on Russian soil by the US, UK, and EU via their Ukrainian mercenaries, not to mention the attacks on ethnic Russians in the Donbass who asked for Russian help, it takes a lot of chutzpah to complain about Russia taking out Ukrainian targets because they are across the river from Romania, a cartel/NATO puppet.
Three dead, 11 wounded in Donetsk shelling – authorities
More war crimes from NATO:
Ukrainian forces have reportedly again used US-supplied cluster bombs against civilians in Donbass.
US/NATO continues attacks on Russia soil:
Ukraine strikes bridges in Crimea with NATO-supplied missiles
Speaking of US hypocrisy, apparently it’s okay for US warships to patrol the South China Sea and the Strait of Taiwan, but when the table is turned what we hear is self-righteous moralizing:
Russian, Chinese warships patrol off Alaskan coast together; US destroyers shadow
Russia Says BRICS Developing Alternative Currency To US Dollar, As Combined GDP Is Higher Than G7
The de-dollarization trend has been gaining momentum in the wake of sanctions that effectively cut Russia off from the Western-dominated financial system. Numerous developing nations – including fellow BRICS members China, India, Brazil, and South Africa – have also started to move toward alternative currencies in trade.
The erosion of its military and economic power makes the cartel a dangerous and desperate force, particularly given its prior use of nuclear weapons, radioactive artillery shells, cluster bombs, assassinations, and sabotage. Global capital has no loyalty to any nation; its word has no credibility.
Group Attacking Mercola Sued by Elon Musk
On the surface, this appears to be a positive move by Musk in support of the First Amendment.
The banking cartel put a lot of effort into recruiting agent provocateurs to post wacko “right-wing” articles to establish the concept of #fakenews, which they then used against those reporting data derived from scientific method and empirical reasoning.
The groups that Musk is suing are the actual disinformation propagandists. We shall see if there is any unprejudiced court willing to hear the merits of this case.
Capitol Police ramp up hiring to bolster lawmaker protection
Per our previous Global Update post regarding plans to put a fence around the US Capitol (based on the January 6th FBI sting sold as an “insurrection”), the banking cartel’s minions who populate the three branches of government will now get extra armed protection from the people that they are supposed to represent but have forsaken.