Uncovering the Hidden Costs of Green Technologies
AV Essential Reads
The War Below looks at how the race to secure critical minerals like lithium and copper is reshaping the global landscape — and challenging our vision of a sustainable future.
As the urgency to address climate change grows, so does the demand for electric vehicles, solar panels, and other green technologies — requiring vast amounts of lithium, copper, and other essential minerals. This raises a critical dilemma: How can we source these vital materials without causing irreparable harm to the ecosystems we aim to protect?
In his 2024 book, The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives, journalist Ernest Scheyder examines this conflict in depth. Drawing from his experience as a Reuters senior correspondent, Scheyder provides a compelling insider’s view of the global struggle to shift from fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources, highlighting the human and environmental costs involved.
Scheyder takes the reader on a journey, from the deserts of Nevada to the jungles of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he meets activists defending ancestral lands, miners facing hazardous conditions, and industry titans vying for critical resources. These human stories form the heart of The War Below, which offers a nuanced portrayal of the global mineral trade without reducing its players to simple heroes and villains.
The book has garnered widespread acclaim, earning a spot on the nonfiction long list for the National Book Award and being named among Fortune’s Best Books of the Year. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Daniel Yergin praised Scheyder’s “reportorial grit” and “literary skill” in capturing the intense physical and political battles that are shaping the future.
This is essential reading for understanding the critical minerals upon which the energy transition—and our future prosperity—relies.”
The Mineral Demand Dilemma
A recent Pew Research Center survey found that 63% of Americans support the U.S. goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. However, few understand the enormous quantities of critical minerals, like lithium and copper, required to meet this target. For example, an electric vehicle contains over 170 pounds of copper — four times the amount found in a gas-powered car. The International Energy Agency predicts that by 2040, mineral demand will skyrocket, with consumption increasing by 40+ times for lithium, 20+ times for cobalt, and nearly 20 times for nickel.
This surge in demand will necessitate significant mining expansion, which could trigger global conflicts and intensify concerns in communities affected by mining operations. These tensions are at the core of The War Below. Scheyder highlights China’s dominance, controlling nearly 80% of the global electric vehicle battery supply chain, and examines Washington’s efforts to reduce its reliance on foreign sources through increased domestic mining and manufacturing of critical minerals.
At the center of this narrative lies a stark paradox. While these materials are essential for green technologies, they often come with steep environmental and social costs. One example Scheyder explores is the story of Tiehm’s buckwheat, a rare flower whose survival is jeopardized by a lithium deposit in Nevada. The resulting battle between conservationists and mining interests reflects the broader global struggle over mineral extraction and environmental preservation.
“One of the key points I aimed to highlight in the book is the varied and legitimate opposition that many mining projects face… from Indigenous groups, conservationists, or families who have stewarded their land for generations,” Scheyder said on the Marketplace Morning Report podcast. “I wanted to capture both the opposition and support, allowing the reader to decide for themselves: Are some places too special to mine? And if mining proceeds, what standards should we set to ensure it’s done responsibly?”
“I purposely don’t take a stance on whether or not these forms of opposition are right or wrong. My job is to share the human stories of those affected by the choices we make — or, more commonly, the choices we’re not making right now.”
Takeaways for Investors
The War Below provides a timely, insider’s view of the “green dilemma” in the global mineral supply chain, highlighting the immense economic opportunities — and risks — that lie in mining, processing, and securing critical energy minerals. For investors, this presents a clear message: the future of green technologies and infrastructure will be shaped by who controls and innovates within this space. The War Below also underscores the need to factor in environmental and social governance (ESG) criteria as public scrutiny of mining operations continues to rise.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR OF ”THE WAR BELOW“
Ernest Scheyder is a senior correspondent for Reuters, covering the green energy transition and the minerals that undergird it. He previously covered the US shale oil revolution, politics, and the environment, and held roles at the Associated Press and the Bangor Daily News. A native of Maine, Scheyder is a graduate of the University of Maine and Columbia Journalism School. Visit his website at ErnestScheyder.com and follow him on X @ErnestScheyder.
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