Read the following passage from a journalistic article:
'The lithium triangle in South America, spanning the high-altitude salt flats of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile, holds over 50% of the world’s lithium deposits. According to the United States Geological Survey, global demand for lithium is projected to increase by 500% by 2050 to meet electric vehicle battery production targets. Proponents argue that lithium extraction is the cornerstone of the global green energy transition, bringing unprecedented economic modernization to historically marginalized Andean communities. However, environmental groups highlight that extracting one ton of lithium requires approximately 500,000 gallons of water, threatening the delicate desert ecosystems and the pastoral livelihoods of indigenous populations who rely on local aquifers. Local activist Sofia Mendez stated, "The lithium rush is merely green colonialism, draining our ancestral waters to power luxury vehicles in the Global North." While mining companies point to corporate social responsibility reports detailing community water-monitoring programs, independent hydrologists warn that these studies are funded by the corporations themselves and fail to account for long-term subsurface water depletion.'
Which of the following statements from the passage represents a verifiable factual claim, rather than a subjective opinion, projection, or biased assertion?
- The community water-monitoring studies are funded by the mining corporations themselves.Cevap
- BLithium extraction is the cornerstone of the global green energy transition.
- CThe current lithium rush represents a form of green colonialism.
- DCorporate water-monitoring programs fail to account for long-term subsurface water depletion.