White crystals cover the ground near the Atacama salt flats in Chile. Below the surface are vast lithium salts deposits, the ore used to produce the light, soft metal needed for high-capacity battery production. Pumps operated by sqm, the world’s largest lithium salt producer, vibrate as they draw up mineral-rich brine. The liquid in evaporation pools is a patchwork of blue and emerald on the bright crust. This operation begins a chain that ends with the lithium batteries used to power electric vehicles.…