THE WAR BELOW

Going green will require new materials, but getting them raises difficult questions.

The long conflict between resource development and environmental protection shows no signs of abating, and a crucial new dimension has been added, according to Reuters senior correspondent Scheyder. If the U.S. wants to address climate change and transition to a sustainable economy, it must have supplies of the necessary materials. Lithium, a critical component of the batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage, is particularly crucial, but copper, cobalt, nickel, and manganese are also necessary. Most of these are difficult to mine, even harder to process, and the process requires massive investment. Several countries, including the U.S., have resources in the ground, but at present, China dominates production and processing. Among many other sites around the world, Scheyder follows a case concerning the huge Rhyolite Ridge lithium deposit in Nevada. The problem is that mining might endanger a unique buckwheat flower. Other proposed projects raise environmental concerns or could disturb sites sacred to Indigenous peoples. The mining companies say they can extract the resources responsibly, but opponents point out that their record is poor when it comes to conservation. The issue for environmental activists and regulatory agencies is one of competing priorities. Should we allow mining as a means of addressing climate change and hope it doesn’t create other problems, or prevent it and hope that China will be a reliable partner? Scheyder does not come down on either side; his intent is to highlight the difficulty of the decisions that leaders must make in the coming years. To his credit, he visited several of the proposed projects and talked to the people involved. The result is a well-informed, fair-minded book that deserves attention from many quarters.

Authoritative analysis of a crucial issue and the tough choices ahead, backed by solid research.