Overview

‘A tale of rapacious colonialism, Cold War spy games, dazzling technical innovation, big business rivalry, big power geopolitics […] Niarchos has produced an unflinching, landmark work on the nature of extractive capitalism.’ Patrick Radden Keefe, bestselling author of Empire of Pain and Say Nothing How 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.

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9780008553944

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Reviews

‘Niarchos has produced an unflinching, landmark work on the nature of extractive capitalism.’ Patrick Radden Keefe, bestselling author of Rogues and Say Nothing ‘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 ‘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 ‘Niarchos's 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 ‘This […] is one of the epic stories of our time, and Niarchos tells it skillfully, with narrative verve, keen insights, and an admirable attention to factual detail.’ Jon Lee Anderson, author of To Lose a War: The Fall and Rise of the Taliban ‘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 ‘Intrepid reporter Niarchos exposes how the green transition is a dirty and violent tale […] in which the rich world’s luxury beliefs about climate crisis ignore the poverty and environmental despoliation unfolding in Africa.’ Aidan Hartley, author of The Zanzibar Chest ‘[It will make you] rethink the ethics of extraction – you’ll never look at your phone or your electric vehicle in quite the same way again.’ Kirkus Reviews

“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

'Niarchos has produced an unflinching, landmark work on the nature of extractive capitalism.' Patrick Radden Keefe, bestselling author of Rogues and Say Nothing “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 ‘Niarchos's 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 'This […] is one of the epic stories of our time, and Niarchos tells it skillfully, with narrative verve, keen insights, and an admirable attention to factual detail.' Jon Lee Anderson, author of To Lose a War: The Fall and Rise of the Taliban ‘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 ‘Intrepid reporter Niarchos exposes how the green transition is a dirty and violent tale – with the lithium-ion battery at the heart of the geo-politics and history – in which the rich world’s luxury beliefs about climate crisis ignore the poverty and environmental despoliation unfolding in Africa.’ Aidan Hartley, author of The Zanzibar Chest ‘What begins as a book about batteries becomes a riveting journey through lithium-ion technology and its global consequences […] Fair, compelling, and meticulously researched, it captures both the promise and the human cost of the battery revolution. Essential reading for anyone interested in technology, politics, and the forces shaping our future.’ Mohamedsalem Werad, editor and cofounder, Sahrawi Voice

Author Information

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.

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