How the fight for climate change relies on mining
Summary
TLDRThe fight against climate change paradoxically relies on mining, as critical minerals like lithium, copper, and cobalt are essential for renewable energy technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles. Although mining is often criticized by environmental advocates, it plays a crucial role in the green energy transition. The conversation highlights the need for updated mining laws and discussions about sustainable extraction practices. The speaker also points out that this transition extends beyond electric cars to everyday devices like electric leaf blowers, which also depend on these mined minerals.
Takeaways
- 🌍 Climate Week is set to start in New York City, marking the largest annual climate event.
- 💡 A 2023 Pew Research Center survey shows that two-thirds of U.S. adults want the country to prioritize renewable energy over fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas.
- 🔋 Renewable energy technologies, such as solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles, rely on critical minerals like lithium, copper, nickel, and cobalt.
- ⛏️ These critical minerals must be mined, linking the fight against climate change to the often controversial practice of mining.
- 🤔 The paradox is that while many climate activists oppose mining, it's essential for creating renewable energy technologies.
- 🚗 The energy transition involves more than just electric vehicles; even everyday items like electric leaf blowers rely on mined materials.
- ⚖️ The U.S. mining law, established in 1872, is outdated and not aligned with today's climate challenges, such as producing renewable energy components.
- 🛠️ There needs to be a national conversation about the standards and regulations for modern mining, including where and how mining should be allowed.
- 🌱 Increasing domestic mining could reduce emissions related to importing these essential materials, improving energy supply chains.
- 📘 The book *The War Below* highlights the global battle over critical minerals and their importance in powering modern technology, emphasizing the need for updated mining policies.
Q & A
What is Climate Week and where is it held?
-Climate Week is the largest annual climate event of its kind, and it takes place in New York City.
According to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey, what do two-thirds of U.S. adults prioritize regarding energy development?
-Two-thirds of U.S. adults prioritize developing renewable energy, such as wind and solar, over oil, coal, and natural gas production.
Why is mining crucial in the fight against climate change?
-Mining is crucial because many renewable energy technologies, such as solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles, rely on critical minerals like lithium, copper, nickel, and cobalt, which must be extracted from the earth.
What paradox exists regarding mining and the climate change fight?
-The paradox is that while mining is essential for building green technologies, it is deeply unpopular among those fighting climate change due to its environmental impacts.
What are some examples of critical minerals used in green technologies, and where are they found?
-Critical minerals like lithium (for batteries), copper (in solar panels and wind turbines), nickel, and cobalt are essential for green technologies. These minerals are often sourced from mines outside the United States.
Besides electric cars, what other aspects of our lives are influenced by the energy transition?
-The energy transition affects a wide range of everyday tools and devices, such as gas-powered leaf blowers, which contribute to pollution and can be replaced by electric alternatives.
Why is it difficult to trace the origins of the minerals used in products like electric leaf blowers?
-It's difficult to trace the origins because supply chains are complex and not transparent. For example, many critical minerals are sourced from outside the U.S., and even experts struggle to determine their exact origins.
What outdated law still governs mining in the United States, and why is this an issue?
-The law governing U.S. mining dates back to 1872, signed by President Ulysses S. Grant. It is outdated because it was designed for a very different era and does not address modern challenges such as climate change, renewable energy, and new technology.
What discussions should Americans be having about mining and energy production?
-Americans should be discussing what standards should be applied to mining, where it should be allowed, and how to balance environmental protection with the need for critical minerals for green energy.
How does regional production of critical minerals impact emissions and supply chains?
-Increasing regional production of critical minerals could reduce emissions associated with transporting materials from distant locations. It also strengthens supply chains, reducing reliance on imports, similar to issues seen during the COVID-19 pandemic with shortages in products like masks.
Outlines
🌍 Climate Week Kicks Off with Energy Consumption Focus
Climate Week is set to start in New York City, marking the largest annual event focused on climate action. With thousands preparing to participate, the conversation centers on energy consumption. According to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey, two-thirds of U.S. adults believe the country should prioritize renewable energy sources like wind and solar over traditional fossil fuels. However, these renewable technologies rely on critical minerals that must be mined, raising concerns about the environmental impacts of mining.
🔋 The Paradox of Mining for Renewable Energy
Ernest Shider, a senior correspondent for Reuters, explains the paradox of fighting climate change through renewable energy while depending on mining, a process often criticized by environmentalists. Solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles all require minerals like lithium, copper, nickel, and cobalt, which are extracted from the earth. Shider emphasizes that addressing where and how these minerals are sourced is crucial for a sustainable climate solution, as mining is an unavoidable part of the green energy transition.
🚗 Beyond Electric Cars: Energy Transition's Broader Implications
Shider highlights that the transition to renewable energy involves much more than electric vehicles. Everyday items like gas-powered leaf blowers also contribute to climate change due to their harmful emissions. Switching to electric-powered alternatives, like an electric leaf blower, reduces emissions, but the minerals used in these products still need to be mined. Shider points out the challenges of tracing the origins of these materials, which often don’t come from U.S. mines, sparking the need for better standards and transparency in mineral sourcing.
🛠️ Outdated U.S. Mining Laws and Their Impact on Climate Action
The conversation shifts to the outdated U.S. mining law, which was established in 1872 under President Ulysses S. Grant. Shider argues that the law is ill-equipped to handle modern climate challenges, as it was created long before innovations like electric vehicles and solar panels. He advocates for a discussion on updating mining regulations to reflect 21st-century needs, allowing for more regional production of critical minerals to reduce emissions and reliance on foreign supply chains.
🧑🔬 The Importance of Regional Production and Supply Chain Resilience
Shider draws a parallel between supply chain disruptions experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the lack of domestically produced masks, and the current need for local production of critical minerals. He argues that where we source the building blocks of renewable technologies matters significantly. Regional production of these minerals would reduce reliance on foreign supply chains and contribute to lower emissions, strengthening the U.S.'s ability to fight climate change.
📚 Shider's Book and the Functioning Electric Leaf Blower
The discussion concludes with a brief mention of Shider's book, 'The War Below,' which delves deeper into the global battle for critical minerals. Shider humorously notes that despite the challenges in sourcing minerals, his electric leaf blower did, in fact, work. This lighthearted moment ends the conversation, reinforcing the complex and often hidden connections between everyday products, mining, and climate action.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Climate Week
💡Renewable Energy
💡Critical Minerals
💡Mining
💡Electric Vehicles (EVs)
💡Energy Transition
💡U.S. Mining Law of 1872
💡Supply Chains
💡Leaf Blowers
💡Paradox of Mining and Climate Change
Highlights
Climate week in New York City is the largest annual climate event, focusing on energy consumption and renewable energy development.
Two-thirds of U.S. adults believe the country should prioritize renewable energy over fossil fuels, according to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey.
Renewable energy sources like wind and solar require critical minerals, such as lithium, copper, nickel, and cobalt, which must be mined.
There is a paradox: the fight against climate change relies on mining, which is often unpopular among environmental advocates.
Critical minerals are essential for building solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles, making mining intrinsically linked to climate solutions.
Americans should engage in deeper discussions about the standards for mining, including where and how extraction should occur.
The U.S. mining law governing these practices was established in 1872, which is outdated and doesn't account for modern technological and environmental needs.
There is a need for a 21st-century law for mining, one that would allow responsible and environmentally sound production within the U.S.
The fight against climate change extends beyond electric vehicles, involving everyday tools like leaf blowers, which can contribute to emissions.
Electric leaf blowers are emissions-free but still rely on critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, and nickel, often sourced from outside the U.S.
There is a lack of transparency about where the critical minerals used in common electronic devices are sourced from.
More regional production of these critical minerals could help reduce emissions and improve supply chain security.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the vulnerability of supply chains, particularly the lack of domestic production in essential goods like masks.
Americans need to have more discussions about whether certain areas are too environmentally or culturally sensitive for mining.
Ernest Shider emphasizes the importance of considering the environmental costs of mining while recognizing its necessity for renewable energy and fighting climate change.
Transcripts
and climate week is set to start in New
York City that's the largest annual
climate event of its kind and as
thousands prepar to take part we are
looking at the ways that we consume
energy 2third of us adults say that the
country should prioritize developing
renewable energy over oil coal and
natural gas production according to the
2023 Pew Research Center survey
Americans want to see wind and solar
energy Alternatives but these solar
devices also rely on critical minerals
that must be mined so joining us right
now is shider senior correspondent for
Reuters and author of the war below
lithium copper and the global battle to
power Our Lives to talk about mining's
links to helping fight climate change
Ernest good morning welcome to the show
hey it's great to be with you Gio
absolutely so so let's talk about this
because this just blew my mind you say
that the climate change fight actually
relies on mining yet mining is deeply
deeply unpopular by those fighting
against climate change so how does
Mining Play This Cru role in saving our
planet sure well things like solar
panels wind turbines electric vehicles
they're all built with critical minerals
you know lithium goes into a lithium ion
battery that powers electric vehicles
solar panels and wind turbines have a
lot of copper and other critical
minerals in them nickel and Cobalt are
used across our green energy economy and
all of these critical minerals have to
come out of the ground which means that
climate change is intrinsically linked
to mining uh that does seem like a
paradox to many people but it's a
reality that many people just don't
think about and so the more we actually
have a deep discussion about where and
how we want to get these critical
minerals then actually we're going to be
doing better in our fight against
climate change I mean that's absolutely
fascinating and you also say that this
fight and our energy transition is about
so much more than just electric cars so
what should everyday Americans be
demanding of policy makers when it comes
to fighting climate change sure thing
well as you say this is about so much
more than electric vehicles you know I
have a chapter in the book that talks
about leaf blowers which might sound
silly and basic but leaf blowers have
historically been powered by gas powered
engines and those are just gnarly for
the environment they spew out this toxic
plume of just Gunk that makes climate
change worse so the answer many people
say is to get an electric powered lead
flower and I did actually while I was
writing this book uh and it has no
emissions but uh I became curious about
where did the building blocks come from
where did the lithium and the Cobalt and
the nickel in this electric leaf blower
come from and I got to tell you Gio I
have a lot of resources at my disposal
and I couldn't figure out where they
came from but I did know that they
didn't come from a mine in the United
States and so what I think we have to be
having a discussion about as Americans
and really as citizens of the world is
what are the standards by which we would
allow mining are there some places too
special to mine and are there places
where we would allow extraction to occur
we're not really having those
discussions right now just take this as
a factoy you the law that's governed
mining in the United States has been
around since 1872 wow it was signed by
President Ulisses srant now I wasn't
around then but I can make a pretty
serious bet that President Grant did not
envision our climate fight he did not
Envision iPhones he did not Envision
solar panels the law is just written for
a very very very different time and so
we're not really debating right now okay
what does it look like to have a law for
mining in the 21st century that would
allow Americans to have more production
here at home and I think more Regional
production actually matters especially
if we're going to talk about reducing
emissions you know just think about it
Gio it was four or four and a half years
ago that the world discovered the uh
coronavirus pandemic and in the United
States we got shocked that we learned
there were no masks being made here and
that's just one example of a supply
chain which can seem like a silly and
innocuous thing but it matters because
where we get the building blocks of
everyday lives really does matter so
right now there are so many more
examples I know in your book The War
below so thank you so much and by the
way to be clear that leaf blower did
work it did work it did it did Erna
shider thank you so much for joining us
here on ABC News live weekend we
appreciate you
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