The hidden cost of the green transition's mineral rush | Galina Angarova

Summary

Podcast Summary: "The Hidden Cost of the Green Transition's Mineral Rush" | Galina Angarova | TED Talks Daily

Podcast Information:

• Title: TED Talks Daily
• Host: TED
• Episode Title: The Hidden Cost of the Green Transition's Mineral Rush
• Speaker: Galina Angarova
• Release Date: April 18, 2025

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Introduction: The Demand for Transition Minerals

In the episode titled "The Hidden Cost of the Green Transition's Mineral Rush," Indigenous innovator Galina Angarova explores the profound and often overlooked consequences of the global shift toward environmentally friendly technologies. Galina highlights the escalating demand for transition minerals—such as nickel, copper, and lithium—which are essential for technologies like electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy systems. While these minerals are touted as pivotal for combating climate change, Galina underscores the significant social and environmental costs associated with their extraction.

Impact on Indigenous Communities

Galina begins her talk by sharing a poignant message from a trusted elder:

"Pay your attention to your intention or other people's intentions. They may come in shiny packages and they can be reinventions of the same old... extractive." ([03:15])

She emphasizes that despite the green transition's appearance of progress, the underlying practices often remain extractive and exploitative, particularly affecting Indigenous communities. These communities, who are the stewards of their lands, face existential threats due to mining operations that degrade their environments and disrupt their way of life.

Case Study: Environmental Disaster in the Russian Arctic

Galina recounts a devastating event in May 2020:

"A large fuel tank owned by the subsidiary of Nornickel ruptured, spilling 21,000 tons of diesel into local waterways—becoming the worst environmental disaster in Arctic history." ([04:10])

This spill not only caused severe ecological damage but also destroyed the fishing and hunting grounds of Indigenous communities around Lake Baikal. The incident serves as a stark example of the tangible harms caused by extractive industries.

Engagement with Major Corporations: Tesla and Nornickel

In the wake of the environmental disaster, Tesla sought new supply chains for nickel. Galina and her global coalition seized this opportunity to influence corporate practices:

"Through a global campaign, we were able to establish a direct dialogue with Tesla. They are not involved in the new supply chain and have now adopted an indigenous people's policy requiring all suppliers to respect Indigenous rights." ([07:00])

While Tesla distanced itself from Nornickel, this engagement highlighted the vulnerability of major corporations to reputational risks associated with Indigenous rights violations. By advocating for responsible sourcing, Galina demonstrated how Indigenous activism can lead to meaningful policy changes within influential companies.

The Scope of the Problem: Transition Minerals and Indigenous Lands

Galina presents alarming statistics from the University of Queensland:

"54% of all transition minerals are located either on or near Indigenous peoples' lands and territories, posing an existential threat to 467 million people." ([09:45])

This concentration of mineral resources on Indigenous lands means that the push for green technologies directly jeopardizes the livelihoods and cultural heritage of millions of Indigenous individuals worldwide.

Global Examples of Impact:

• Sami Communities in Sweden: The discovery of rare earth minerals in Kiruna threatens traditional reindeer herding practices.
• Lithium Triangle in South America: Indigenous communities in Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile face water scarcity due to water-intensive lithium mining in the Atacama Desert.

Principles of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent

Central to Galina's argument is the principle of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), which asserts that Indigenous peoples have the right to:

1. Free: Without coercion or manipulation.
2. Prior: Before any decision is made about development on their lands.
3. Informed: With full disclosure of environmental, social, and cultural impacts.
4. Consent: The right to approve or reject projects, either in whole or with conditions.

Galina explains how FPIC is not merely a legal formality but a foundational ethical framework that ensures meaningful engagement and respect for Indigenous autonomy.

Implementing Ethical Practices: Collaboration with Automakers

Galina describes collaborative efforts with companies like Tesla and Ford to integrate FPIC into their supply chains:

"For example, when a company like Ford works with a battery supplier, that supplier must demonstrate compliance with FPIC by meaningfully engaging with the community from which the cobalt is sourced." ([13:30])

These partnerships exemplify how corporations can adopt Indigenous people's policies that uphold ethical sourcing and mutual respect, setting a precedent for others in the industry.

Holistic Solutions and Indigenous-Led Initiatives

Galina advocates for a multifaceted approach to the green transition, emphasizing that technological fixes alone are insufficient. She proposes alternatives such as:

• Reuse and Recycling: Minimizing the need for new extractions.
• Community-Led Projects: Empowering Indigenous communities to lead conservation and sustainability initiatives.

Examples of Indigenous-Led Solutions:

• Mangrove Restoration: Communities in Nigeria, Colombia, and Mexico engage in planting and restoring mangrove forests, which absorb significant amounts of CO₂.
• Agroecological Farms: Indigenous communities in Ecuador manage sustainable farms that support local livelihoods and environmental health.
• Kelp Production: In Alaska, communities experiment with kelp farming, which both supports traditional practices and enhances carbon sequestration.

The Importance of Intention and Mindset

Galina concludes by reflecting on the fundamental question posed by the trusted elder:

"What is the intention? Are we creating new shiny things to give, to share, to love and be of service to others? Or are we creating them to take, extract and be of service to ourselves? " ([15:30])

She asserts that the success of the green transition hinges on the collective mindset and intentions behind these efforts. By prioritizing reciprocity, care, and Indigenous knowledge, society can pursue sustainable practices that honor both the planet and its original stewards.

Conclusion: A Call for Justice and Equitable Practices

Galina Angarova's talk serves as a critical reminder that the green transition must be pursued with an unwavering commitment to justice and equity. By centering Indigenous voices and respecting their rights, the global community can navigate the complexities of mineral extraction in a manner that truly supports environmental sustainability and human well-being.

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Notable Quotes:

• "Pay your attention to your intention or other people's intentions..." ([03:15])
• "Are we creating new shiny things to give, to share, to love and be of service to others? Or are we creating them to take, extract and be of service to ourselves?" ([15:30])

Speaker Attribution:

• Galina Angarova: Indigenous innovator and leader in securing Indigenous rights within the green economy.
• Elise Hu: Host of TED Talks Daily.

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Final Notes:

Galina Angarova's compelling narrative challenges listeners to rethink the true costs of the green transition. By highlighting the intersection of environmental sustainability and Indigenous rights, she advocates for a more inclusive and ethical approach to resource management. This episode of TED Talks Daily underscores the importance of intention, collaboration, and respect in achieving a genuinely sustainable future.

Transcript

[Tracy]

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[Elise Hu]

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[Elise Hu]

There's no safe like simply safe. You're listening to TED Talks Daily where we bring you new ideas to spark your curiosity every day. Hi, I'm your host, Elise Hu. Minerals like nickel, copper and lithium are in increasing demand around the world. They are transition minerals, meaning they're necessary for environmentally friendly technologies like electric cars as we push to move away from oil and gas. But there is a dark side to this transition economy. In her 2024 talk, Indigenous innovator Galina Angarova reminds us that indigenous communities around the world are at risk of being wiped out. And presses governments and corporations to center justice and work with indigenous communities who know the land best.

[Galina Angarova]

A trusted elder once told me, pay your attention to your intention or other people's intentions. They may come in shiny packages and they can be reinventions of the same old. The same old is the centuries old paradigm of take and extract. They do come in shiny packages, but the core of them stays the same, extractive. So when we are paying attention to the intention, we ask ourselves a question. Is it to take or is it to give? Is it to extract or is it to regenerate? I come from the Abzai clan of the Hirit nation of the Buryat peoples. We're indigenous peoples in Siberia on both sides of Lake Baikal, which is the largest freshwater lake in the world. In many indigenous cultures, including mine, we're taught from very early childhood, take only what you need, leave something behind so it can regenerate itself and think seven generations ahead. That's what I learned from my grandmother today, leading a global coalition to secure indigenous people's rights in the green economy. I'm led by these values. They are core tenants of harmonious and truly sustainable living. So the idea of paying attention to the intention became all too real for me. In May 2020, in Taymyr Peninsula in the Russian Arctic, a large fuel tank owned by the subsidiary of Nornickel, the largest producer of nickel raptured. It spilled 21,000 tons of diesel into the local waterways. It has become the worst environmental disaster in the history of the Arctic. It also decimated the fishing and hunting grounds of many indigenous communities who call that place home. So a few months later, we heard the news that Elon Musk and Tesla are looking for new supply chains for nickel. And that was an opening for us to urge Tesla not to purchase nickel from nor nickel. Through a global campaign, we were able to establish a direct dialogue with a company. And we quickly learned that they're not involved and do not plan to be involved in this new supply chain. But through our efforts, Tesla now has an indigenous people's policy that requires all of their suppliers to respect indigenous people's rights. We'll continue to work with Tesla to make sure that their new shiny indigenous people's rights policy is implemented throughout their supply chains. One lesson that came out of this experience is that we learned that end user companies like Tesla are more susceptible to indigenous people's rights risk to the reputational risk that in turn can manifest in substantial financial losses. But this one supply chain, it's just the tip of the iceberg nickel, along with other minerals, copper, cobalt, lithium are in increasing demand and are categorized as transition minerals. They are used in variety of technologies, including electric vehicles, batteries. They're touted as the ultimate climate change solution and are a huge part of this green energy transition. We quickly learned the scope of the problem. The newly released study by the University of Queensland states 54% of all transition minerals are located either on or near indigenous peoples lands and territories. This fact poses an existential threat to 467 million people. Indigenous peoples who are the best stewards of their ecosystems and environments, but whose lives and livelihoods are completely dependent on their territories and lands. Since May 2020, we encountered multiple stories of many communities currently impacted by mining for transition minerals. Russia, us, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Indonesia, Democratic Republic of Congo. And the list just goes on. For example, in January 2023, there was news that the largest deposit of rare earth minerals was found in Kiruna village on Sami territories in Sweden. The Sami communities are already feeling the impacts of the existing iron ore mine on their reindeer herding grounds. But the proposition of new mines for the green technologies are going to completely wipe them out. On the other side of the planet, the Lithium Triangle. Argentina, Bolivia, Chile Especially in the Atacama Desert, perhaps the driest place on earth, Koya indigenous communities are competing for supplies of clean drinking water with the lithium mining industry, which is extremely water intensive. So knowing what we know today, my question is, are we going to center justice and achieve justice for all or are we going to replicate the same mistakes of the past? And I think we don't have to replicate the same mistakes. Indigenous peoples have long moved the landscape from victimhood to becoming the protagonists, the decision makers, the actors of our own lives, of our own self determined development. At the heart of this is our fundamental right to self determination, which is expressed through the right to free prior and informed consent. At the heart of it is that right to free prior and informed consent. There are four principles of this right and those principles bring this right to life. They're all in the name. Free meaning without coercion and manipulation. Prior meaning before any decision about the development on indigenous peoples lands and territories. Informed means full disclosure, investor reports, briefings, results of environmental, social and cultural impact assessment reviews. When it comes to consent, it means that indigenous peoples have the right to say yes or no, or maybe, or yes with conditions. And it's not just a legal requirement. It's a way for all stakeholders to engage in a meaningful way. Policymakers, corporations, civil society, indigenous peoples. It's not about jumping To a yes. But it's not about being anti development. The process is as important as the end result. It's about treating people as equals. It's about approaching indigenous peoples traditional governance systems and approaching them on equal footing. So we've worked with companies like Tesla and Ford to establish and adopt their indigenous people's policies that respect that right, important right to free prior and informed consent. But what it looks like in practice when a company like Ford, for example, works with a battery supplier and that battery supplier has to buy cobalt from a mining company, a mining company has to document and show that has complied with all the standards, but also has meaningfully engaged with the community from whose lands and territories that cobalt is coming from. And we want to do that with every automaker around the world. But our ultimate goal is to fundamentally change the way governments and corporations engage with indigenous peoples. But technological fixes like electric vehicles are not a silver bullet. In fact, there are no silver bullet solutions. They could be part of the solution, but they're not the solution. In fact, I think we have to question whether extraction is even needed, whether reuse and recycling could play a powerful role. I do believe that we need a stack of many, many, many solutions. And even indigenous peoples don't offer every solution. But they offer the ones that center justice, equity, indigenous people's rights and well being. I think most important solutions, however, come from communities. People who live on the land they know best. They are equipped with millennia old traditional knowledge that they have inherited from their ancestors from the times immemorial. That's what they've been doing, that's what they're good at. And that's what they're offering as an alternative solution to the extractive mindset of take, take and take. Be part of the ecosystem, be a good neighbor, be a good relative to each other and other than human kin. I think that with all of the solutions in place, we can make a difference. From communities in Nigeria, Colombia and Mexico planting and restoring mangrove forests, to communities in Ecuador managing agroecological farms, to communities in Alaska experimenting with kelp production, all supporting indigenous livelihoods, but also massively absorbing CO2. Again, with all of the solutions in place, we can have that cumulative impact that will determine the future of our species and the climate. But we have to be very careful with one sided approaches. For example, solely and exclusively focusing on CO2 emissions, or as we call it, the carbon tunnel approach. We have to look at the solutions in a holistic way, in a way that does not sacrifice indigenous peoples. So when I go back to my conversation with a trusted elder. The question keeps coming up in my head. What is the intention? Are we creating new shiny things to give, to share, to love and be of service to others? Or are we creating them to take, extract and be of service to ourselves? With the right intention, I think with the right intention rooted in reciprocity and care, I think we have a chance. But it's the mindset that will determine whether we survive or find ourselves on the brink of extinction.

[SimpliSafe Representative]

Thank you.

[Elise Hu]

That was Galina angarova at TED Countdown's Dilemma event in Brussels in 2024. If you're curious about TED's curation, find out [e-mail] curationguidelines and that's it for today's show. TED Talks Daily is part of the TED Audio Collective. This episode was produced and edited by our team, Martha Estefanos, Oliver Friedman, Brian Greene, Lucy Little, Alejandra Salazar and Tonsika Sarmarnivon. It was mixed by Christopher Faizy Bogan. Additional support from Emma Tobner and Daniela Balaurazo. I'm Elise Hu. I'll be back tomorrow with a fresh idea for your feed. Thanks for listening.

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