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Lithium mining may be putting some flamingos in Chile at risk

The quest to produce “greener” batteries may take a toll on biodiversity in some regions

Andean flamingos feed in a pool in a salt flat, with mountains in the background

Andean flamingos (Phoenicopterus andinus) feed in Salar de Atacama, Chile. This is one of two flamingo species threatened by lithium mining in the region.

Santiago Urquijo/Moment/Getty Images Plus

By Jake Buehler

Flamingos may be a kind of canary in the coal mine when it comes to warning of a hidden cost of green technologies. Lithium mining appears to be a major threat to the iconic pink birds that rely on ecologically fragile salt flats bordering the high Andes Mountains.