People often focus on lithium when it comes to electric boats, but it's a crucial component in many everyday items like phones, laptops, tablets, toothbrushes, ceramics, medicines, and glass. Many images labeled as "lithium mines" are actually photos of copper, iron, or coal mines, yet concerns about those resources rarely get the same attention. Lithium is typically extracted from brine pools, where the mineral-rich water is pumped into large ponds and left to evaporate in the sun before being collected for processing. In regions like Australia and the U.S., lithium is also extracted from clay and rock. The U.S., along with Chile, Argentina, and China, has some of the largest lithium deposits, and the U.S. is expected to become a major player when the Thacker Pass operation begins by 2028.