I used to be an environmental consultant to the mining industry. All of this talk about lithium mining is besides the point. Thacker Pass in northern Nevada will be coming on line soon. The Salton Sea has great potential. Batteries will get recycled.
If you want to see the importance of mining look at conventional vehicles. They are made from steel, chomium, copper, and plenty of other metals.
EVs may be a short term solution for commuter cars. Long term we may be looking at hydrogen and plenty of other organic sources.