By Francisco Diaz, Anastasia Kubrak and Marina Otero Verzier

Since its discovery, lithium was presented as a cure for the exhaustion that the capitalist economy exerts on bodies. Prescribed since 1817 for treating mania and depression, it is now better known as a vital element for the transition to renewable energies. Yet an increasing dependence its extraction is causing the degradation and collapse of entire ecosystems. From salt flats in Bolivia and evaporation pools in Chile’s Atacama Desert to spa resorts in Europe, this bilingual and bipolar investigation brings together the arguments and views of activists, biologists, academics, journalists, architects, and philosophers on lithium extraction, pharmacology, and mental health.