Mining and the clean energy paradox
Today we’re talking about a key piece of the global transition to renewable energy: metals. Specifically, metals like copper, lithium and cobalt that we need to build wind turbines, electric vehicles and to improve our energy grid.
Vince Beiser, author of the forthcoming book “Power Metal: The Race for the Resources That Will Shape the Future,” said we’ll need hundreds of millions more tons of these metals. But mining them comes at a cost.
“The good news is there are plenty of these metals around. There is enough of them in the world,” Beiser said. “The bad news is they can be really hard to get to and getting them can cause enormous damage.”
On the show today, Beiser explains the environmental and social consequences of mining for these metals, China’s dominance over the supply chain, and ways to make the transition to renewables more fair. Plus, why mining in space is a pipe dream, at least for now.
Then, we’ll get into how the U.S. dairy industry could be upended if former President Donald Trump’s plan for mass deportations took place. And, is Boeing too big to fail?
Later, how one listener makes voting a party. Plus, another listener was wrong about how people make choices.
Here’s everything we talked about today:
- “The Green Economy Is Hungry for Copper—and People Are Stealing, Fighting, and Dying to Feed It” from Wired
- “Mining Critical to Renewable Energy Tied to Hundreds of Alleged Human Rights Abuses” from Inside Climate News
- “How does the environmental impact of mining for clean energy metals compare to mining for coal, oil and gas?” from MIT Climate Portal
- “The Indispensable Industry: Mining’s Role in the Energy Transition and the Americas” from the Center for Strategic and International Studies
- “What a Crackdown on Immigration Could Mean for Cheap Milk” from The New York Times
- “Trump’s economic plans would worsen inflation, experts say” from AP News
- “Boeing to Sell at Least $10 Billion in Shares to Plug Cash Drain” from The Wall Street Journal
Do you have any Election Day traditions? Let us know how you cast your ballot at makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.
Stories You Might Like
None of us is as smart as all of us.
No matter how bananapants your day is, “Make Me Smart” is here to help you through it all— 5 days a week.
It’s never just a one-way conversation. Your questions, reactions, and donations are a vital part of the show. And we’re grateful for every single one.
