Detail produktu

The Elements of Power - Nicolas NiarchosHow we became addicted to a supply chain that wreaks havoc across the globe. Epic, shocking, and deeply reported, The Elements of Power tells the story of the war for the global supply of battery metals – essential for the decarbonization of our economies – and the terrible, bloody human cost of this badly misunderstood industry. Congo is rich. Swaths of the war-torn African country lack basic infrastructure, and, after many decades of colonial occupation, its people are…

The Elements of Power - Nicolas NiarchosHow we became addicted to a supply chain that wreaks havoc across the globe. Epic, shocking, and deeply reported, The Elements of Power tells the story of the war for the global supply of battery metals – essential for the decarbonization of our economies – and the terrible, bloody human cost of this badly misunderstood industry. Congo is rich. Swaths of the war-torn African country lack basic infrastructure, and, after many decades of colonial occupation, its people are officially among the poorest in the world. But hidden beneath the soil are vast quantities of cobalt, lithium, copper, tin, tantalum, tungsten, and other treasures. Recently, this veritable periodic table of resources has become extremely valuable because these metals are essential for the global “energy transition”―the plan for wealthy nations to wean themselves off fossil fuels by shifting to sustainable forms of energy, such as solar and wind. The race to electrify the world’s economy has begun, and China has a considerable head start. From Indonesia to South America to Central Africa, Beijing has invested in mines and infrastructure for decades. But the U.S. has begun fighting back with massive investments of its own, as well as sanctions and disruptive tariffs. In this rush for green energy, the world has become utterly reliant on resources unearthed far away and willfully blind to the terrible political, environmental, and social consequences of their extraction. If the Democratic Republic of the Congo possesses such riches, why are its children routinely descending deep into treacherous mines to dig with the most rudimentary of tools, or in some cases their bare hands? Why are Indonesia’s seas and skies being polluted in a rush for battery metals? Why is the Western Sahara, a source for phosphates, still being treated like a colony? Who must pay the price for progress? With unparalleled, original reporting, Nicolas Niarchos reveals how the scramble to control these metals and their production is overturning the world order, just as the global race to drill for oil shaped the twentieth century. Exploring the advent of the lithium-ion battery and tracing the supply chain for its production, Niarchos tells the story both of the people driving these tectonic changes and those whose lives are being upended. He reveals the true, devastating consequences of our best intentions and helps us prepare for an uncertain future. If you have ever used a smartphone or driven an electric vehicle, you are implicated. Review ‘The quality of Nicolas Niarchos’s scholarship and research exposes immorality, greed and chicanery of a very high order. This is essential reading for anyone who cares about the future of all of us.’ Sir Andrew Mitchell MP, former Secretary of State for International Development ‘Niarchos traces the webs of multibillion-dollar international deals that enmesh Congo’s cobalt mines and juxtaposes this material, painfully, with boots-on-the-ground descriptions of Congolese lives.’ The Times ‘With forensic research and vivid reporting, Niarchos unpacks the dirty paradox of clean energy […] Expansive and eye-opening, it is essential reading for our age.’ Clarissa Ward, Chief International Correspondent for CNN and author of On All Fronts ‘'A brave book by a brave writer' Daily Telegraph ‘The Elements of Power cuts like a fast-paced action film from battery labs in California, Tokyo and the backstreets of Shenzhen … to mines in Africa and elsewhere where a combination of powerful companies, hucksters and mostly downtrodden miners scrabble for the minerals needed to power the energy transition.’ David Pilling, Financial Times ‘The Elements of Power is one of the most illuminating reads of and for our times. Hard-hitting stories of corporate invention and greed, government corruption, and human exploitation will make you question the devices we use almost constantly.’ David de Jong, author of Nazi Billionaires: The Dark History of Germany Wealthiest Dynasties ‘[Niarchos] has shone a spotlight into some very dark corners […] A wake-up call for anyone who thinks of the switch to electric power as a simple signal of virtue.’ Literary Review ‘Utterly gripping exposé of the dark consequences of our lust for disposable technology.’ Mark Miodownik, author of It's a Gas ‘The Elements of Power is a terrific book – punchy, intelligent, and critically attuned to its subject’s moral and technical complexities.’ Atossa Araxia Abrahamian, author of The Hidden Globe: How Wealth Hacks the World About the Author Nicolas Niarchos began his journalistic career as a fact checker at the New Yorker, for which he is now a contributing writer. He has reported extensively from Africa and the Middle East, including the Democratic Republic of Congo.