You know what's funny is if you post this meme on Facebook they flag it because the bottom image isn't a real lithium mine. The truth is real lithium mines are even bigger than that...the Bayan Obo mine is five times the size of whatever that bottom picture is. https://www.ejatlas.org/conflict/bayan-obo-world-biggest-rare-earths-mine-baogang-group-baotou-inner-mongolia-china

I live in an area where there are lots of pipelines. I'm amazed at how well they level the ground after they are done. You can't build on it, but that's okay, it provides some greenspace.

Then there are the rare earths like neodymium that are needed for the magnets used in, say, wind turbine generators. They need large mines, processing plants and waste tips.