The War Below

August 1, 2023

Notes Reuters senior correspondent Scheyder, the renewable energy economy we desire has demands of its own: lithium, copper, cobalt, rare earths, and nickel must be extracted from the earth, but that poses issues. Cobalt and nickel mining means disrupting Minnesota's delicate wetlands, for instance, and rare earths mining in California meant to bring the United States minerals independence would still require cooperating with China for its expertise. Prepub Alert.

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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.

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November 1, 2023
Scheyder, a reporter for Reuters, presents a sprawling investigation of the complications behind mining in the U.S. Focusing on lithium and copper, both crucial to the electric car revolution and the transition to a greener economy, Scheyder visits proposed mining sites, talks to dozens of experts and individuals with varying interests in and opinions, pro and con, about the mining industry, and reviews the industry's ugly past around the world, with an emphasis on recent catastrophes and public relations missteps. He admits that this is a complicated topic, and his efforts to compress coverage of so many companies, locations, and geopolitical considerations--China's goals are of major concern--into one book can make for a sometimes challenging read. From the trials of mining giant Rio Tinto to the history of the Apache in Arizona, Biden's political promises, an endangered Nevada flower, and Donald Trump Jr.'s interest in Bristol Bay fishing, The War Below proves that mining underlies many aspects of life. For readers eager to learn about this industry, this is a sound start.

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December 18, 2023
Journalist Scheyder debuts with a thorny chronicle of domestic and international clashes over the mining of lithium, copper, gold, nickel, and other minerals key to shifting away from fossil fuels. As one company executive company remarks, “You can’t have green energy without mining.” But staving off the worst effects of climate change comes with its own scourge, as Scheyder makes clear through discussions of a series of ethically complex cases: Should lithium be mined on isolated Nevada hillscapes if the digging threatens a rare flower found nowhere else on Earth? How much more damage should Indigenous peoples endure to the Arizona lands they hold sacred? Can a North Carolina farming community hold off a company that intends to mine land adjacent to their properties if they refuse to sell? Well-acquainted with the finely tuned business calculations and relentless political jockeying that surround these mining operations, Scheyder explains how companies try to work with, and also outwit, environmental advocates, government whistleblowers, and locals trying to preserve their ways of life. David vs. Goliath battles butt up against very real planetary perils in this evocative account of the energy transition’s myriad complexities.