Is our “green” future being built on a global sacrifice zone?

In this episode, I’m joined by my former New Yorker colleague Nicolas Niarchos to discuss his revelatory new book, The Elements of Power. It’s a globe-spanning investigation into the battery supply chain—stretching from the Congo and Indonesia to Israel, China, and the US—revealing how the promise of clean energy is often built on violence, child labor, and systemic corruption.

With conflict in the Middle East driving up oil prices, many EV owners are feeling a sense of moral (and economic) superiority. But as Nicholas explains, the supply chain powering those batteries is just as ethically fraught as the oil and gas industry, if perhaps a bit more functional at the moment.

We dive into Nicolas’s firsthand accounts of Congolese mining “crevasses,” where hand-dug pits collapse on workers with terrifying frequency. We also discuss how mineral wealth dictates Congolese politics and why cobalt has become the “new oil” in a high-stakes geopolitical tug-of-war between the US and China.

Don’t miss the end of our talk: Nicolas shares the harrowing story of his detention by the Congolese secret police while investigating the ties between mining interests, the presidential family, and separatist militias. It is an absolutely insane, must-hear account.

PS: Nicolas has just launched a brilliant new magazine with another New Yorker alum called Now Voyager. Their first issue is available now, both online and at newsstands. If you value the kind of deep-dive, boots-on-the-ground reporting we discuss today, you definitely need to check it out.

This epsiode is sponsored by Bluecorn Candles. Use the code NONTOXIC20 for 20% off your first order.

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