THE WAR BELOW
LITHIUM, COPPER, AND THE GLOBAL BATTLE TO POWER OUR LIVES
An unprecedented look inside the global battle to power our lives from acclaimed Reuters reporter Ernest Scheyder.
A new economic war for critical minerals has begun, and The War Below is an urgent dispatch from its front lines. To build electric vehicles, solar panels, cell phones, and millions of other devices means the world must dig more mines to extract lithium, copper, and other vital building blocks. But mines are deeply unpopular, even as they have a role to play in fighting climate change and powering crucial technologies. These tensions have sparked a worldwide reckoning over the sourcing of necessary materials, and no one understands the complexities of these issues better than Ernest Scheyder, whose exclusive access to sites around the globe has allowed him to gain unparalleled insights into a future without fossil fuels. The War Below reveals the explosive brawl among industry titans, conservationists, community groups, policymakers, and many others over whether some places are too special to mine or whether the habitats of rare plants, sensitive ecosystems, Indigenous holy sites, and other places should be dug up for their riches. With vivid and engaging writing, Scheyder shows the human toll of this war and explains why recycling and other newer technologies have struggled to gain widespread use. He also expertly chronicles Washington’s attempts to wean itself off supplies from China, the global leader in mineral production and processing. The War Below paints a powerfully honest and nuanced picture of what is at stake in this new fight for energy independence, revealing how America and the rest of the world’s hunt for the “new oil” directly affects us all. |
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“This is essential reading for understanding the critical minerals upon which the energy transition—and our future prosperity—relies."
“Vividly captures the physical and political landscapes over which the future is being fought.”
"To uncover the inconvenient truths and the often-overlooked tradeoffs of the energy transition, Reuters reporter Ernest Scheyder takes readers on a journey through American history, geopolitics, and the business world."
"Authoritative analysis of a crucial issue and the tough choices ahead, backed by solid research."
"David vs. Goliath battles butt up against very real planetary perils in this evocative account of the energy transition’s myriad complexities."
“The War Below is an entertaining and insightful look at the enormous complexity—technological, environmental, financial and political—of mining the metals needed to make the green energy revolution possible.”
“Required reading for anyone interested in the 360-degree impacts of the energy transition."
“The War Below gives the reader a front row seat to one of the critical debates of our time: how to power the clean energy transition without adding to ecological and human harm through irresponsible mining."
"Finally, the real story of the difficulties of mining and processing enough minerals in the US to supply a green, carbon free energy transition. Scheyder introduces us to the people living in our mining communities whose lives are greatly affected by America's goal to de-carbon energy. In this telling we confront the reality that there are no easy answers or quick fixes. We are also made uncomfortable with the ethics of wanting to preserve our beautiful places, while we rely on foreign supply chains where minerals are mined and processed with no real attention to environmental, labor, and human rights abuses."
"For readers eager to learn about this industry, this is a sound start."
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