Lithium is a critical energy material in part due to an array of emerging technologies from electric vehicles to renewable energy systems that rely on large‐format lithium ion batteries. Recent growth in demand for lithium is primarily from increased use in batteries, which comprised 46% of total lithium by end use in 2017. These technologies are often deployed to improve environmental sustainability, yet the environmental effects and sustainability of the resources they rely on are often not well understood, especially as demand increases over time.

中文翻译：

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了解锂的未来：第1部分，资源模型

锂是一种重要的能源材料，部分原因是从电动汽车到依赖大型锂离子电池的可再生能源系统等一系列新兴技术。近期锂需求的增长主要来自电池使用量的增加，到2017年最终用途中锂的使用量将占锂总量的46％。这些技术通常用于改善环境的可持续性，但是它们所依赖的环境影响和资源的可持续性却是通常并没有很好地理解，尤其是随着需求的增长。