Portuguese communities lock horns with lithium miners to save their land

Demonstrators protest against lithium mines in downtown Lisbon, Portugal September 21, 2019. The banner reads "No to mine, Yes to life". Picture taken September 21, 2019. REUTERS/Rafael Marchante

LISBON (Reuters) - The lush, green hills where Paulo Pires has for years brought sheep to graze above his picturesque Portuguese village may soon be transformed by the race to power electric vehicles.

Signs of change already give him sleepless nights. Hundreds of drill holes across the countryside show where miners want to excavate the land for lithium, a vital ingredient for batteries used in electric cars, smartphones and energy storage.