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Growing water scarcity could hamper the expansion of lithium mining in the U.S., deepening its reliance on foreign imports over the coming decades, a new study finds.Lithium is used in electric-vehicle and energy-storage batteries due to its high energy density and low weight compared with other minerals, but mining it requires a huge amount of water. Currently, the U.S. has only one active lithium mine, in Nevada, and with demand for the metal projected to explode over the next few years, the government and private companies are planning to open at least 115 new mines across the country, according to the study.However, most of the proposed mines that are in advanced stages of development overlap with water-stressed areas, specifically in the western U.S. In the new study, published May 28 in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, scientists found that if lithium mines start operating in these regions, they will compete for water not only with households, agriculture and industry, but also with one another and with other proposed mineral mines."Future water availability under climate change may constrain whether new lithium mines will have sufficient water to operate," study senior author Jennifer Dunn, a professor of chemical and biological engineering and the director of the Center for Engineering Sustainability and Resilience at Northwestern University in Illinois, told Live Science in an email.The U.S. imports more than 50% of its lithium, mostly from Chile and Argentina. Policymakers and corporations want to reduce this dependence, but even with the existing Nevada mine and the 22 proposed mines that are the closest to coming online, the U.S. won't have enough lithium to meet domestic demand, Dunn said."Every mine produces a different amount of lithium — depending on its deposit type, lithium grade, and final product — so we are unable to determine how many mines exactly would be needed," she said. "Our analysis estimated that if all 22 advanced [stage] proposed mines and the sole operating mine continued operation into 2050, 0.14 [to] 0.25 million metric tons [0.15 to 0.28 million tons] of lithium content in products could be produced per year."This range falls short of the 0.83 million to 1.9 million tons (0.75 million to 1.7 million metric tons) of lithium per year that other researchers previously estimated the U.S. would need to cover its own demand.However, the water demand to produce more lithium would be astronomical. That's because lithium is typically extracted from brines and rocks known as pegmatites, which require large-scale evaporation and aggressive processing with fresh water, respectively.To find out if the U.S. would have enough water to support additional lithium mines under intensifying climate change, the researchers calculated the future water use of the 23 lithium mines most likely to be active in 2050, using data from mining companies. Then, they layered this projected water use on top of projected water uses from other sectors, such as agriculture and manufacturing, under four modeled socioeconomic-climate scenarios between 2040 and 2060.The researchers found that the available water supply will, in most cases, be insufficient to support new lithium mines. The starkest example was Southern California's Salton Sea, which contains roughly 4.5 million tons (4.1 million metric tons) of lithium. The Salton Sea is fed by the Colorado River and showed the least water available to support lithium mining and other water demands, owing to the river's dwindling flow.Southern California's Salton Sea has been shrinking for decades, partly because inflow from the Colorado River has declined. A deposit of geothermal brine beneath the sea area is believed to hold one of the planet’s largest reserves of lithium. (Image credit: Mario Tama via Getty Images)Lithium deposits in the U.S. are clustered in Nevada, Arizona and California. These are also some of the most arid and water-stressed states. Although the study found an increase in rainfall under a high emissions, "business as usual" climate scenario, these regions likely won't have enough water to support other activities, let alone additional lithium mining, Dunn said.There were four exceptions in the study, including lithium-rich sites in North Carolina and Arkansas, which may have enough water to support future mines. However, there are other concerns related to lithium mining."Many of the lithium deposits in the United States reside near federally-recognized Indigenous and Tribal reservations, and the mines could violate Indigenous rights," Dunn said. "Lithium mining could also disturb sensitive ecosystems and biodiversity. And, like many other mineral mines, pollution, soil erosion, and water contamination are concerns."Together, the findings highlight a catch-22 in the quest to source lithium: Lithium is essential to support a green energy transition and curb climate change, but shrinking water availability due to global warming is making it harder to extract lithium.RELATED STORIESScientists just discovered an enormous lithium reservoir under PennsylvaniaDays numbered for 'risky' lithium-ion batteries, scientists say, after fast-charging breakthrough in sodium-ion alternativeSalar de Uyuni: The world's largest salt desert and lithium reservoir surrounded by volcanoesThe study did not explore potential improvements to water-use efficiency that could reduce the pressure on some water resources and increase the availability for activities such as lithium mining. Nor did the researchers include water exchanges known as interbasin transfers (IBTs) in their analysis, due to the lack of studies about these transfers under climate change."IBTs could help supply water to arid or water-stressed regions," Dunn said.Still, there is likely an upper limit on how much water can be allocated to lithium mining in a warming world, according to the study. This means the U.S. will probably continue to partially rely on foreign supply chains for lithium and other critical minerals.

New Grand Theft Auto 6 details might have emerged from an Amazon Brazil listingThe game apparently features NPCs with their own routines and "random events"Players may be able to switch between Jason and Lucia during missionsGrand Theft Auto 6 pre-orders have officially begun, and thanks to Amazon Brazil's listing, new details about the game's open world may have emerged.Alongside a larger Vice City map, which Rockstar has previously said will allow players to explore several regions of Leonida, the product listing description also states that players will be able to switch between co-protagonists Jason and Lucia during the story and "participate in missions as a duo."This sounds similar to GTA 5, so we could expect certain missions to be playable by either character, but it could also mean players can choose who to complete a mission with, regardless.It also looks like GTA 6's world will be highly detailed with a "greater sense of immersion", as non-player characters (NPCs) will have their own "routines", which could mean daily and nightly activities, "random events" that players can encounter, and "interactive establishments."The latter could be a reference to shops, tattoo parlours, and salons, but could also describe places like strip clubs, bars, and gun stores, which haven't been revealed yet but can also be found in GTA 5. The mention of "random events" sounds like a feature drawn from Red Dead Redemption 2, allowing players to come across them while roaming the map, including things like isolated interactions and unmarked encounters. @techradar ♬ original sound - TechRadar GTA 6 will also reportedly feature "integrated social networks" that mimic real life, and players can "watch viral videos, follow influencers, and discover world events through your in-game mobile phone."The game is built for current-gen, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Series S, and the description confirms that it will offer "next-generation graphics" that include "advanced lighting, dynamic weather, more natural animations, and a high level of detail in environments."At the moment it's unclear whether these details have come from Rockstar themselves, or have been added by a third-party but they certainly sound very plausible. GTA 6 launches on November 19 and will cost $79.99 / AU$129.95 / £69.99 for the Standard Edition and $99.99 / AU$159.95 / £89.99 for the Ultimate Edition. Pre-loads begin on November 12.However, physical copies won't have a disc and only include a digital download code in the box.

Supergirl has finally taken flight in theaters — and, if you're weighing up whether to see it, read my Supergirl review first to find out if it's worth doing so.If you've already made up your mind about not seeing the DC Universe (DCU) movie on the big screen, though, you might be wondering when it'll be available to watch at home.So, when might the Milly Alcock-fronted superhero film make its streaming debut? Below, I've offered my thoughts on its possible HBO Max release date, so read on to see when it might come to one of the world's best streaming services. Does Supergirl have an HBO Max release date?Supergirl and Krypto's first joint big-screen adventure will drop on HBO Max later this year (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)No. One of this year's many new movies only landed in theaters globally on June 26, so it'll be a while before it airs on Warner Bros. Discovery's (WBD) streaming platform.That said, we can use some recent examples of WBD movies releasing on HBO Max to take an educated guess at when it may join the service's library.For starters, Superman, the first DCU Chapter One flick, dropped on HBO Max on September 19, 2025. That means it came to the platform exactly 70 days after its initial theatrical release on July 11, 2025.Ruthye is one of many supporting characters you'll see in Supergirl (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)If Supergirl follows in Superman's footsteps, it would make its HBO Max bow on September 4, 2026 — but, how likely is that to happen?Well, Warner Bros. movies that have come out this year and are now on HBO Max include Wuthering Heights, The Bride!, and They Will Kill You. Curiously, this trio all launched on the service 77 days their original theatrical release dates. Should other films yet to launch on HBO Max, such as Mortal Kombat II and Lee Cronin's The Mummy, also arrive 77 days after their theatrical debuts, Supergirl may similarly follow this release pattern, and be available to stream at home on September 11.However, considering the aforementioned date is when the 9/11 attacks, aka one of the most tragic events in US history, occurred, I'd be very surprised if the movie formerly known as Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comes out on that date. My best guess, then, is that Supergirl will make its streaming bow on September 4 or 18.What is the runtime for Supergirl?Supergirl's first silver screen story in 40 years clocks in at under two hours (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)Supergirl is one of the shortest superhero films of all time. Indeed, at just one hour and 47 minutes, Kara Zor-El's second-ever standalone film, which includes its end-credits crawl, is certainly on the punchier side. For those of you with small bladders, though, that means you might only need to take one bathroom break during your screening, if you need to take any at all!Does Supergirl have any end-credits scenes?Does Lobo make an appearance in any Supergirl post-credits scenes? (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)You'll need to read my Supergirl ending explained piece to find out. It goes without saying, but that article is full of spoilers, so only read it once you've seen the DCU flick.Haven't done so yet, but want to find out more before you do? First, read up on everything you need to know about Supergirl. Then, check out my Supergirl cast and character guide to learn who's joins Alcock in DC Studios' latest film.