Lithium: The Gold of The 21st century

Bolivia hopes its reserves of lithium, a mineral that helps power electric cars, will boost the country's struggling economy. Nov 30, 2010 | 03:14

The growing demand for lithium

With the price of oil expected to climb, there's a growing demand for alternatively fueled vehicles.

This has sparked a global interest in the natural resource lithium. It's a key ingredient in rechargeable batteries.

An estimated 80 percent of the world's lithium is found in Chile, Argentina and Bolivia. Richard Reynolds reports from Salar de Atacama in Chile, the world's largest lithium producer.