Description
- Abstract:
- The global shift toward decarbonization presents a paradox: minerals essential for renewable energy are obtained through processes that often reproduce ecological degradation and socioeconomic inequality, ultimately undermining sustainable development goals. As demand for these “transition minerals” grows, new regions are transformed into extractive frontiers. This study examines how the spatial relationship between extraction sites and consumption markets shapes sustainability outcomes. Through comparative analysis of lithium operations in Jujuy, Argentina and Nevada, United States, I investigate whether extraction dynamics change when resources are procured near consumption centers. Evidence indicates that proximity between extraction and consumption enhances sustainability across environmental, economic, and social dimensions. This geographic integration cultivates feedback mechanisms that promote responsible resource governance through improved water management, beneficial fiscal structures, and meaningful stakeholder engagement. Where extraction occurs matters. As nations pursue energy transition agendas, this research illuminates how reconfigured extraction-consumption geographies can minimize the reproduction of exploitative patterns, and plan for sustainable supply chain development. In an era of globalized production networks, this study contributes to efforts to re-materialize and spatialize the energy transition by critically examining which communities and landscapes bear the costs of decarbonization.
- Notes:
- Senior thesis (AB)--Brown University, 2025
- Concentration: International and Public Affairs
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Citation
Hansen, Lena S.,
"Locating Sustainable Extraction: A Comparative Study of Lithium in Jujuy, Argentina & Nevada, USA"
(2025).
The Watson School of International and Public Affairs Theses and Dissertations, International and Public Affairs Theses and Dissertations.
Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library.
https://doi.org/10.26300/2jnk-wv20
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The Watson School of International and Public Affairs Theses and Dissertations
Theses and Dissertations for the The Watson School of International and Public Affairs department.... -
International and Public Affairs Theses and Dissertations
Theses and Dissertations for the International and Public Affairs department....