Strange Mineral That Could Save Earth Is Hidden in the Valleys of Serbia

It's not really correct that a lot of Serbians don't want this mine, in actuality no one wants this mine, everyone opposes it, apart from the government. It's located in an extremely beautiful part of the country with very beautiful and precious nature, with a vast number of villages and people (and agricultural land) that would be impacted by the mine. It would be a tragedy. Independent studies that are warning of the dangers of the mine and the method of excavation are being suppressed. Already the land in the vicinity of the exploratory excavations is seriously polluted, and no protective measures are taken to address the problem, nor would they be taken if the real excavation ever gets underway. And the suggestion that the country is, from the financial standpoint, lucky to have this deposit, and that it could become some kind of an energy powerhouse, couldn't be further from the truth. On the contrary, the country will not see almost a dime from the exploration of these deposits, as all the profit will end up outside of the country. Every company involved in the excavation would be a foreign company, with the profits going outside of the country so it couldn't be taxed. They would employ foreign workers so almost no local jobs would be created. And they would also be given subventions from the country's budget (making it a burden on taxpayers) and concessions on mining fees by the government apparatchiks in exchange for their own profit. They would essentially sell out the country for private profit. This is nothing new, this is the same principle on which many of the mines in the country are already operating. The mine would get exploited, the vast territory of the country, nature and wildlife polluted, peoples health destroyed, and the country wouldn't profit from it in any way shape or form. Lithium batteries aren't a long term solution anyway. This mine would be a disaster, and could spell the end of this country. No one wants it, no one here needs it. Any attempt of opening the mine will be met with an unfaltering resistance.

To those interested in bleak truth. Jadarit wasn't discovered by RioTinto it was rediscovered. During Yugoslavia we had all the records of mineral deposits including jadarit. Those records were mysteriously destroyed and a new law was put in place. Those who "discover" mineral deposit have the right to exclusively dig for it. In comes RioTinto and just accidentally "stumbles" upon it. Anyone who is familiar with Tinto's history knows where this is going. It is basically turning Serbia into EU's mining colony. It's a poison they don't want in their backyard killing their people. Serbs are extremely against drilling for jadarit because it will destroy the countryside, poison the soil and underground water.

It has to be said that Rio Tinto don't exactly have the best historic rep when it comes to environmental credentials.

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Rio Tinto "legally" blew up ancient heritage site in Western Australia; Juukan 2, a cave that had evidence of 46k years of continuous occupancy/use by indigenous Australians. This was despite traditional owners from the area begging Rio Tinto to reconsider the approval after finding new evidence of the significance of the site. A transition to clean energy must be a fair and just transition. We can't destroy the environment and the people who rely on it in one area, for the sake of a more wealthy area/population.

Have you ever been to the Jadar valley, Anton? I'll tell you about a much more exciting discovery: the groundwater level is so high there that the farmers don't need to irrigate their crops. And more: the soil is so fertile and rich that they have record harvests with minimum use of fertilisers. You know what? Contrary to the dirty mining you advertise so enthusiastically, it is sustainable and green. Plus... The people there and all over Serbia don't want it, neither they need it. Hands off our lands! THEY WILL NOT MINE

Rio Tinto, by the way, is no one's friend. The water use is the real problem, besides how much, and what types of residual material is going to be left after they are done with a particular mining operation. While it would serve Serbia in the long term, it would also open up a potential future of pollution and contaminated land that could be an unsolvable trap. If I were Serbia, I would severly limit and regulate their water use and acid spill and acceptable residuals before signing anything. Have the company make a pilot plant, show how the mining operation will go, including the full extraction, and regulate the transport and storage, and then legally hold them to it, with the proviso that the entire operation could be nationalized if they do not meet up with the expected agreements. Just a thought.

The main reason I'm worried about the mining in Serbia is that the government doesn't care about preservation. As long as the plan for it exists in the paperwork, that's enough for them. If we had a government we trusted, it would be a different story if we knew that Rio Tinto would actually have to follow through with the environmental aspect. Many mines we have had opened and exhausted never did anything when it comes to soil reclammation. That's the problem.

Anton don't make us famous... there is unspoiled nature there, they want to dig effin lithium... we really need help to defent this natural areas

Hey, look, I managed to turn a cool superman movie reference into a heated political debate in the comments It is interesting to hear the Serbian perspective though. Jadarite is definitely an important discovery and possibly one of the most remarkable minerals on Earth but is it worth selling your country over? Time will tell