The massive demonstration shown in the video took place in Belgrade, Serbia — and surprisingly, it has nothing to do with politics, but rather with electric vehicles.
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Electric vehicles rely on very large lithium batteries for energy storage.
The surge in adoption of hybrid and electric vehicles has caused a significant rise in global demand for lithium.
Since Serbia is home to one of the richest lithium deposits in the world, many mining companies have been eyeing it eagerly.
One of those companies is Rio Tinto.
The company's lithium mining license was revoked in 2022, but just a few weeks ago it was reinstated.
While the company's investors and electric vehicle manufacturers are celebrating, Serbian citizens fear the enormous environmental damage that the mining process causes.
Mining brings with it the destruction of forests and ecosystems, and frequently involves chemicals that can leach into groundwater.
In a poorly regulated mining operation, the rocks and soil extracted from the ground are dumped into nearby valleys, devastating the flora and fauna there as well.
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Serbians are refusing ( 😉 ) to support the global green energy revolution if the price is the destruction of their country's ecosystems.
Every coin has two sides, and the green revolution is no exception — it carries an environmental cost that deserves serious consideration.