The growing need for lithium — a mined metal used in batteries to power electric vehicles (EVs) — could have significant international environmental and social impacts if the U. "If we want to reduce our vulnerability to these supply chains, as well as reduce the impact of mining, all the more reason to get folks into e-bikes and buses as much as possible," said Riofrancos, associate professor of political science at Providence College in Rhode Island. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges