Lithium-ion batteries are more eco-friendly than gas-powered products, but lithium mining negatively affects the environment in the following ways: It requires a lot of water, and there often isn’t enough water left for local farmers and wildlife. It deteriorates the soil structure. It pollutes the air. According to MIT, most lithium is extracted from hard rock mines using equipment that runs on fossil fuels. As a result, 15 metric tons of CO2 are released into the air to get one metric ton of lithium.