George Shepherd  

Research

Title of Research:

Green-Extractivism in Latin America: The Political Economy of Lithium Extraction in Bolivia and Chile

Brief overview of research topic:

The shift away from a hydrocarbon dependent energy and transportation system has intensified demand for hitherto underexploited mineral resources, of which lithium is perhaps the most notable example. Accordingly, I employ the case of lithium extraction in Bolivia and Chile as a prism through which to view fundamental shifts in the capitalist world system resultant from developments in the energy mix. I analyse the political implications of intensified lithium extraction on the economic and political realities of the two aforementioned nations, focusing specifically on the ecological implications of a ‘green’ energy transition predicated on intensified extraction in the periphery.