Trump Blames Plane Crash on DEI, Lewis Black on Dry January | Vince Beiser

Summary

The Daily Show: Ears Edition – Summary of Episode "Trump Blames Plane Crash on DEI, Lewis Black on Dry January | Vince Beiser"

Release Date: January 31, 2025
Host: Michael Costa
Guests: Vince Beiser

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1. Trump Blames Plane Crash on DEI

Overview:
The episode kicks off with a satirical take on former President Donald Trump's handling of a tragic plane crash in Washington, D.C. Michael Costa and Jordan Klepper mock Trump's tendency to blame Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives for various societal issues, extending this blame to the recent plane crash.

Notable Discussions and Quotes:

• Michael Costa (00:01):
  "Trump shows he's unqualified to lead the nation. All his nominees are unqualified for their jobs. And Lewis Black's qualified to start drinking."

  • Sets the tone for critiquing Trump's leadership and appointments.

• Jordan Klepper (02:15):
  "D.C. the FAA's diversity push. A big push to put diversity into the FAA's program..."

  • Parodies Trump's attribution of the crash to DEI efforts within the Federal Aviation Administration.

• Michael Costa (03:06):
  "Damn you, diversity initiatives. Why are you responsible for every historical tragedy?"

  • Satirizes the overextension of DEI blame.

• Lewis Black (03:06):
  "Can come to the conclusion right now that diversity had something to do with this crash."

  • Adds to the mockery of Trump's baseless accusations.

• Jordan Klepper (03:34):
  "The FAA is actively recruiting workers who suffer severe intellectual disabilities..."

  • Exaggerates the supposed negative impacts of DEI on the FAA.

Analysis:
The segment employs humor to highlight the absurdity of attributing complex issues like a plane crash to DEI initiatives. Through exaggerated claims and witty remarks, the hosts emphasize the folly in scapegoating diversity programs for unrelated tragedies.

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2. Senate Confirmation Hearings for Trump's Nominees

Overview:
The show transitions to mocking the qualifications of Trump's cabinet nominees, including Cash Patel for the FBI, Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence, and RFK Jr. for the Department of Health and Human Services.

Notable Discussions and Quotes:

• Jordan Klepper (05:21):
  "We had a very good policy. And then Biden came in and he changed it. And Biden went by a standard that's the exact opposite."

  • Sarcastically comments on policy changes and standards under different administrations.

• Michael Costa (05:54):
  "You're blaming Obama, the guy from three presidents ago? Forget blaming a fart on your dog."

  • Mocks the tendency to blame past administrations for current issues.

• Josh Johnson (08:13):
  "Kosta Patel's a conspiracy theorist who believes the 2020 election was rigged..."

  • Highlights Patel's questionable qualifications with humor.

• Desi Lydic (08:37):
  "Tulsi wants to be Director of Intelligence. Have you seen her friends? Bashar Al Assad..."

  • Ironically questions Gabbard's associations and suitability for the role.

• Josh Johnson (10:08):
  "Tulsi is the least qualified Trump nominee."

  • Emphasizes the perceived inadequacy of Gabbard through comedic insults.

• Michael Costa (11:03):
  "Why does it matter who the least qualified is?"

  • Questions the importance of focusing on unqualified nominees.

Analysis:
This segment uses sharp wit and satire to critique the perceived lack of qualifications among Trump's nominees. By exaggerating their shortcomings and making humorous comparisons, the hosts underline concerns about the competency of those appointed to key governmental positions.

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3. Lewis Black on Dry January

Overview:
Lewis Black leads a comedic segment on Dry January, the challenge of abstaining from alcohol in the first month of the year. He juxtaposes the concept with real-world issues to highlight societal attitudes toward alcohol consumption.

Notable Discussions and Quotes:

• Lewis Black (12:46):
  "Alcohol is the most committed relationship I'll ever have."

  • Opens with a humorous take on his dependence on alcohol.

• Desi Lydic (13:16):
  "Dry January. The challenge of giving up drinking for the first month of the year is growing in popularity."

  • Introduces the topic with a straightforward explanation.

• Lewis Black (13:29):
  "It's colder than Jack Frost's dick, all your fat friends are posting gym selfies..."

  • Uses vivid and crude humor to criticize the timing and enthusiasm for Dry January.

• Josh Johnson (14:31):
  "A damp January would mean only drinking on special occasions..."

  • Plays with the concept by introducing an alternative to Dry January.

• Lewis Black (16:11):
  "Introducing Lewis Black's Dry January Vodka. It's just regular vodka and you can sit in the corner and watch me drink."

  • Satirizes the commercialization of sobriety challenges.

Analysis:
Lewis Black employs his signature humor to critique Dry January, contrasting personal abstinence with ongoing societal and environmental crises. The segment highlights the disconnect between individual actions and larger global issues, using sharp jokes to engage the audience.

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4. Interview with Vince Beiser on "Power Metal"

Overview:
Vince Beiser, an award-winning journalist and author of "Power Metal: The Race for the Resources that Will Shape the Future," joins the show to discuss the paradox of electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy, which, while essential for combating climate change, rely heavily on critical metals. The interview delves into the environmental and geopolitical challenges associated with this reliance.

Key Topics and Quotes:

• The Paradox of Renewable Energy (18:26):
  "We are moving towards electric vehicles and renewable energy, which is great because we need those things to avoid climate change, but there's a catch: metal."

  • Introduces the central theme of his book.

• Critical Metals Demand (19:09):
  "We need billions of tons of those metals. The same basket of metals that we need for renewable energy and for digital tech."

  • Highlights the vast demand for metals necessary for modern technology and green energy.

• Environmental Impact (24:16):
  "Recycling too, turns out to have some serious downsides to it. It's really energy intensive, it's really polluting..."

  • Discusses the environmental costs associated with recycling processes.

• Global Recycling Practices (25:00):
  "In Lagos, Nigeria, they are way more efficient at recycling E-waste. They recycle something like 90% of their E-waste, whereas here, only one out of every six cell phones gets recycled."

  • Compares recycling efficiencies between developed and developing regions.

• Solutions and Consumer Responsibility (30:30):
  "The number one thing that we as individuals can do is, if possible, don't buy a car."

  • Advocates for reducing car ownership to mitigate metal demand.

Analysis:
Vince Beiser provides an insightful examination of the hidden costs of renewable energy and digital technology through his book. The discussion underscores the environmental degradation and ethical issues tied to metal extraction and recycling, emphasizing the need for more sustainable practices and consumer responsibility.

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Conclusion

In this episode of The Daily Show: Ears Edition, host Michael Costa, alongside his comedic team, delivers a blend of sharp political satire and thought-provoking interviews. From mocking Trump's misplaced blame on DEI initiatives and critiquing unqualified political nominees to exploring the environmental complexities of renewable energy with Vince Beiser, the show offers both humor and critical insight. Lewis Black's take on Dry January adds a relatable and humorous touch, balancing the heavy political and environmental discussions.

Key Takeaways:

• Political Satire: The show effectively uses humor to critique political figures and their policies, emphasizing the importance of accountability and competency in leadership.

• Environmental Awareness: Vince Beiser's interview sheds light on the multifaceted challenges of transitioning to renewable energy, highlighting the need for sustainable metal sourcing and recycling practices.

• Cultural Commentary: Through segments like Dry January, the show comments on societal trends and behaviors, blending humor with observational insights.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Michael Costa (00:01):
  "Trump shows he's unqualified to lead the nation."

• Lewis Black (12:46):
  "Alcohol is the most committed relationship I'll ever have."

• Vince Beiser (18:32):
  "It's about the terrible paradox of electric vehicles and renewable energy."

• Vince Beiser (24:16):
  "Recycling has some serious downsides to it."

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This comprehensive summary captures the essence of the episode, highlighting the main segments, key discussions, and memorable quotes. It serves as an informative guide for those who haven't listened to the episode, providing clarity on the show's blend of humor and critical analysis.

Transcript

[Michael Costa]

You're listening to Comedy Central from the most trusted journalists at Comedy Central. It's America's only source for news. This is the Daily show with your host, Michael Costa. Come on, baby. Welcome to the Daily Show. I'm Michael Costner. We have so much to talk about tonight. Trump shows he's unqualified to come for the nation. All his nominees are unqualified for their jobs. And Lewis Black's qualified to start drinking. So let's get to the latest news on the Trump administration in another edition of the Second Coming of Donald J. Trump. I'm going to come. Trump's been busy these last few days. Signing orders, reinstalling the Diet Coke button, grabbing Panama by the canal. But it was only a matter of time until he had to start presidenting for real. This morning, he held a press conference to address the tragic plane crash in Washington, D.C. last night. And remember, one of the most important things a leader can do in a rapidly developing, difficult situation is to calm people down, stick to the facts, and keep your uninformed opinions to yourself.

[Jordan Klepper]

We do not know what led to this crash, but we have some very strong opinions and ideas, and I think we'll probably state those opinions now.

[Michael Costa]

I mean, or. Or we can just speculate wildly. Why not? I get a little bit nervous when Trump has a strong opinion. You know, it's never something unifying like sunsets are beautiful or love is the answer. But this is a new term and he's only a few days in. So let's give him the benefit of the doubt. What's Trump's opinion about what happened in.

[Jordan Klepper]

D.C. the FAA's diversity push. A big push to put diversity into the FAA's program, the agency's guidance on diversity hiring, the FAA's diversity and inclusion hiring plan.

[Michael Costa]

Damn you, diversity initiatives. Why are you responsible for every historical tragedy? The fires in Los Angeles dei, the bridge collapse in Baltimore dei, the Irish potato famine dei Slavery dei. Did you ever notice how many minorities were at slavery? It's all DEI. Just to be clear, Mr. President, you have evidence that diversity initiatives are responsible for this tragic crash. You're not just saying this, right? Right. I'm trying to figure out how you.

[Lewis Black]

Can come to the conclusion right now that diversity had something to do with this crash.

[Jordan Klepper]

Because I have common sense.

[Michael Costa]

There you go. No, no, no, no. There you go.

[Desi Lydic]

There you go.

[Michael Costa]

He has common sense. It's just a coincidence that his common sense happens to align with his long held prejudices. So let's spin the big wheel of blame to see which Minorities are responsible for this crash. Who will it be this time? Black people? Lesbians? Trans Armenians?

[Jordan Klepper]

The FAA is actively recruiting workers who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems, and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiatives. They include hearing vision, missing extremities, partial paralysis, complete paralysis, epilepsy, and dwarfism.

[Michael Costa]

Dwarfism? I can't believe it's only day 10 and Trump is already this far down his list of scapegoats. He's blown past race and gender, and now he's hitting dwarves. Is he really suggesting there was a plane crash because someone with dwarfism worked in air traffic control? Does Trump think they couldn't see the control panel and they were just reaching up and pushing buttons, hoping it would work out? Hold on. I, I, I just want to say that people with dwarfism are just like everyone else. In fact, their penises are normal size, which means proportionally, they're so in a way, you could say that I'm the one looking up to them. Thank you. That's a thinker. That's a thinker. A lot of different layers in there. You might be thinking, well, that's progress. You know, he used to blame everything on past administrations, but don't worry, he got them in there, too.

[Jordan Klepper]

We had a very good policy. And then Biden came in and he changed it. And Biden went by a standard that's the exact opposite. The faa, which is overseen by Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a real winner. You know how badly everything's run since he's run. The Department of Transportation, Obama, Biden, and the Democrats, they put politics at a level that nobody's ever seen. I changed the Obama standards from very mediocre at best to extraordinary.

[Michael Costa]

I'm sorry, you're blaming Obama, the guy from three presidents ago? Forget blaming a fart on your dog. This is blaming the fart on your dog that died when you were 8. I still think about you, Henry. Such stinky farts he had. Look, Mr. President, I know you're scared that people might hold you responsible now that you're president, because you're the president, Mr. President. And it's time to just be a man, okay? Real men don't point fingers. Real men find solutions. Real men show leadership. Real men moisturize. Guys, you gotta take care of your skin. You gotta take care of your skin. Yeah. The skin is the biggest organ on the body. Unless you're dwarf, then it's the second biggest. Gotcha there. Gotcha there. All right, let's move on, okay? Because while Trump is demanding Meritocracy in government. He's trying to fill his cabinet with a whole bunch of just real geniuses. Today, the Senate held hearings for Cash Patel, who Trump wants to lead the FBI because of qualifications like this. My name is Kash Patel and I have written the first ever children's Russiagate book. It's called the Plot against the King.

[Desi Lydic]

It is a fantastical telling by me, the Russiagate chief investigator.

[Michael Costa]

Wow. I mean, that's a great reason to not teach your kids to read. At the same time, the Senate held hearings for Tulsi Gabbard, who Trump wants as Director of National Intelligence, even though she's friendly with dictators like Bashar Al Assad and looks like the head of the Galactic Council in a bad sci fi movie. For more on those Senate confirmation hearings, we go to Jordan Klepper, Desi Lydic, and Josh Johnson. Let's go first. Let's go first. Let's go first to Jordan. Jordan, you've been covering the Cash Patel hearing. How did he come across?

[Josh Johnson]

How do you think? Kosta Patel's a conspiracy theorist who believes the 2020 election was rigged, follows Qanon, and most shockingly thinks toddlers want to read a pop up book about Russiagate. I mean, just listening to him speak gave me brain damage. So much that I think listening to him speak gave me brain damage. Clearly, Kash Patel is the least qu. Qualified of all of Trump's nominees.

[Desi Lydic]

I'm sorry, but can I just. Can I butt in here?

[Michael Costa]

Yes. Desi. Desi, you're covering the Tulsi Gabbard hearings. How did she come across?

[Desi Lydic]

How do you think, Kosta? I haven't been that uncomfortable since Klepper asked if I liked his haircut. She wants to be Director of Intelligence. Have you seen her friends? Bashar Al Assad, Vladimir Putin, Justin Baldoni. Heartburn, upset stomach, diarrhea. It's too much. She is clearly the least qualified Trump nominee.

[Josh Johnson]

What are you talking about? Desi? First, my hair looks f. And Tulsi was at least in Congress, she spent time in the government. The only thing Patel has spent time in is the comment section of the Pizzagate subreddit. He's the most unqualified.

[Desi Lydic]

No. No way. You cannot trust Tulsi with state secrets. I wouldn't even trust her with secret brand deodorant. CBS locks it up now because of her.

I'm sorry, can I hop in here?

[Michael Costa]

Yes. Josh, you're covering RFK Jr. S hearing.

[Desi Lydic]

Yeah. And obviously he is the least qualified candidate because he is RFK junior He wants to run the Department of Health and Human Services. He's not qualified for health. He's barely qualified for human.

[Michael Costa]

All right?

[Desi Lydic]

He's basically a leather bag full of coughs. For someone who might be in charge of all the drugs, he acts like someone in charge of all the side effects. Nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea. Baldon.

[Josh Johnson]

No, no. Look, my guy wrote a children's book about Russiagate. The only reason you write a children's book about Russiagate is you can't write an adult book about Russiagate. He used more exclamation points than a white woman's email.

[Desi Lydic]

I deleted that. And Tulsi is the least qualified. She couldn't be more of a Russian mole if she was dangling from Rasputin's back. Josh, do you really think RFK is less qualified than Tulsi?

Does a bear carcass get dumped in the Central park woods?

[Josh Johnson]

Kash Patel, if you're watching a bear, is the one that goes, grr.

[Desi Lydic]

Please. Tulsi makes Kash Patel look like Stephen Hawking.

[Josh Johnson]

Yeah, current day Stephen Hawking. Because Kash Patel is brain dead.

[Desi Lydic]

At least they have brains. RFK Jr. S brain got eaten by a worm in his head.

[Michael Costa]

Guys, guys, hey, why are we fighting over this, okay? They're all unqualified. Why does it matter who the least qualified is, Michael?

[Josh Johnson]

Because the reporter covering that specific hearing gets the right to use a somber but serious Pulitzer contending voice when they say, in the opinion of this reporter, Kash Patel is the least qualified nominee in American history.

[Desi Lydic]

No, no, no, no, no, no. Tulsi Gabbard is the least qualified nominee in American history.

You're both wrong. RFK Jr. Is the least qualified nominee in American.

[Lewis Black]

Ah.

[Desi Lydic]

In American history.

[Michael Costa]

Josh, are you. Josh, are you putting in contacts?

[Desi Lydic]

I don't have glasses, but I need to look smart. God, I never touched my eye before. This is.

[Michael Costa]

Look, I don't think. I don't think any of you are qualified for this job. Jordan, Desi, and Josh, everyone. When we come back, Lewis Black will try not to drink nothing, right? Welcome back to the Daily Show. When a news story falls through the cracks, Lewis Black catches it for a segment we call Back In Black.

[Lewis Black]

Ah. Alcohol. It's why I get up in the morning, how my mom made it through her pregnancy, and why I'm not allowed within 50ft of a horse. Booze is the most committed relationship I'll ever have. But some people know nothing about commitment.

[Desi Lydic]

Dry January. The challenge of giving up drinking for the first month of the year is growing in popularity.

[Michael Costa]

Happy dry January. It's the month where folks ditch the booze and go alcohol free.

[Desi Lydic]

One report found that 25% of American adults completed dry January last year.

[Michael Costa]

A lot of people are going to be doing dry January. I have done dry January every year now for three years.

[Lewis Black]

Well, goody, goody for you. It must be nice to have the luxury of giving up booze while the rest of us are trapped in reality. Wildfires, bird flu, crippling gambling debts. If you're not blacking out every single night, you're not paying attention. And by the way, why are we giving up alcohol in January? It's colder than Jack Frost's dick, all your fat friends are posting gym selfies and it gets dark faster than Justin Trudeau's face on Halloween. Oh please me, I'd much rather give up booze in May. The weather is warm and I'm already coked up for Cinco de Mayo. But for those of you not sure about dry January, don't worry. There's something even dumber.

[Josh Johnson]

For some people that looks dry. For others, it might look damp. A damp January would mean only drinking on special occasions, adding more dry days to your month or consuming fewer drinks in each sitting.

[Lewis Black]

Damp January? Are you shitting me? Damp January sounds like someone I paid for a living in the 80s. Just say drinking less. Not everything needs a label. I'm in a short term situationship. No, you got a hand job from a Kocheck girl. Now move on with your life. Quitting booze may seem like a good idea today, but once TikTok goes away, you're gonna be getting hammered at Dave and Buster's with me and Pete Hegseth. Fair warning, I tend to shit my pants on Dance Dance Revolution. Now I get it. Some of you don't like fun. But if you're out with your dipshit friends and you can't drink booze, surely there must be something you can drink.

[Michael Costa]

During dry January, people sip on mocktails. Cocktails without any alcohol. Great non alcoholic wines, beers and spirits that are on the market today. Global sales of no and low alcohol products reaching more than $13 billion last year.

[Josh Johnson]

Companies are cashing in to stars releasing non alcoholic products like Katy Perry's booze Free beverage line Des fla. A Great Time and Tom Holland's non alcoholic Beer Company bureau.

[Vince Beiser]

This is from Proxies.

[Michael Costa]

This is their bubbly rose. Could you add alcohol if you wanted to?

[Vince Beiser]

You could.

[Lewis Black]

You could Wowee. An alcohol free Dr. That you can add alcohol to. If only Thomas Edison were alive to see this. Look, if I ever order an elderberry hibiscus fizz, be sure to garnish it with a loaded gun. These drinks sound almost as fun as getting an enema. Which, by the way, you can also add alcohol to. It's called boofing. Google it. But listen, if the eighth best spider man can cash in on the mocktail boob, so can I. Introducing Lewis Black's Dry January Vodka. It's just regular vodka and you can sit in the corner and watch me drink. Even comes with a blanket to throw over me once I pass out. Now that's what I call a situationship.

[Michael Costa]

Wow. Lewis. Lewis Blank, everyone. When we come back, Vince Beisley will be joining me on the show. So don't go away.

[Desi Lydic]

Look at that.

[Michael Costa]

Welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight is an award winning journalist and author whose latest book is called Power the Race for the Resources that Will Shape the Future. Please welcome Vince Beiser. Power Metal. Power Metal. Are you sure this isn't a book about Metallica?

[Vince Beiser]

You know, I'm going for the broadest audience I can get.

[Michael Costa]

What is power Metal?

[Vince Beiser]

So what it's about is, it's about the terrible paradox of electric vehicles and renewable energy.

[Michael Costa]

That's all the time we have for tonight. Ladies, gentlemen, thank you so much. Please continue.

[Vince Beiser]

All right, so the paradox is this. So we are moving towards those things, right? EVs and renewable energy, which is great because we need those things to avoid climate change, which is the biggest threat that we face. But there's a catch. Yeah, and the catch is metal. Because to build all those things, to build all those millions of electric vehicles, solar panels, wind turbines, and by the way, all of the digital gadgets that we all rely on, our phones and our laptops, everything about the.

[Michael Costa]

My phone has metal in it.

[Vince Beiser]

Your phone has metal in it, my friend. I don't know about your phone personally.

[Michael Costa]

Yeah, I actually have a wooden phone with a. There you go. Okay. So even our everybody here has metal on themselves right now.

[Vince Beiser]

So we need billions of tons of those metals. So there's a worldwide rush on to get those. They're called critical metals. The same basket of metals that we need for renewable energy and for digital tech. And as a result of that, we are cutting rainforests to the ground. Children are being put to work in mines, oligarchs are getting fine with the children.

[Michael Costa]

But the rainforest stuff, I know. So are you.

[Vince Beiser]

I'm throwing out a list.

[Michael Costa]

Yeah. Are you telling me, honestly, I Have. And I would love for them to have a job. I mean, it's like, that's funny because of, you know, we know my kids are okay. But when you see the footage and you read about these, it's really up. Yeah, it's really, really up. And it's even more when you go, oh, I might be contributing to that in a way.

[Vince Beiser]

You might. The cobalt that those kids mind might be in your pocket right now. Not yours, because your phone is wooden.

[Michael Costa]

But everybody else, you're essentially saying there's no such thing as clean energy. Correct. What liberal friend are you trying to piss off?

[Vince Beiser]

Well, I'm just, you know, I'm a journalist, so my job is to just try to tell the truth as best as I can. And there is, you know, renewable energy is much better than fossil fuel powered energy, but it comes with its own cost. It has its own serious downsides. Which is not to say that, you know, you shouldn't buy an ev, that we shouldn't be turning on to renewables. We should be, but we have to understand they come with serious. And we have to do what we can to minimize those costs.

[Michael Costa]

Let's talk about China a little bit, because every single chapter of your book China shows up. Yeah. Are they better than us with. I say us meaning North Americans with their mining, with their. Let me start over. Let me ask a better question.

[Vince Beiser]

Sure.

[Michael Costa]

China, go. It's such a big topic. It's such a big country, it's hard to really pick.

[Vince Beiser]

So in a nutshell, what's happened is, so every single one of these metals that we're talking about that we absolutely need for EVs for renewables and for digital tech, China dominates the entire supply chain of those things from when they. From digging them out of the ground to refining them into metals, to building the actual. To manufacturing them into the actual, you know, car batteries and digital gadgets and all the rest of it, that is a big problem because it gives them enormous geopolitical leverage. Right. They've really got us over a barrel with this stuff.

[Michael Costa]

You tell a great story. You follow a man around Vancouver who essentially scraps metal. And what are we talking? What are the more valuable metals that are around? Cobalt nickel.

[Vince Beiser]

Cobalt nickel. Yep. Copper. Copper. So for a guy like Steve Nelson, who's this scrapper that I followed around in Vancouver, Canada, I thought my field pieces were tough.

[Michael Costa]

I mean, you're literally in Vancouver following a guy in a dumpster picking up metal. Sexy stuff, Vince.

[Vince Beiser]

That's right. That's right. That's the Glamorous world of journalism, my friend. Yeah. So for those guys, copper is the most valuable thing. But Steve is a guy who's a super entrepreneurial guy who has basically been spending the last 20 years or so just digging through dumpsters in the back alleys of Vancouver for any kind of metal that he can find and sell and recycle. And not just like, but like old toasters, old light fixtures. He can look at practically any, you know, electronic thing and tell you, oh, there's going to be, you know, this much aluminum. There's probably about six ounces of copper. I can get two bucks for it at today's price. He carries it all on his bicycle. He's got a little cart hooked up to his bike and he just rides around collecting all this metal and then taking it to his scrapyard.

[Michael Costa]

I don't think about metal every day. I don't think I want to, but now I think I have to. Metal should be more on the forefront of our brains. Should we be more concerned with reusing or refurbishing the American consumer? This doesn't seem to match up. There's only so much metal we can use, Right.

[Vince Beiser]

Turns out there's pretty much no limit to how much stuff we can consume.

[Michael Costa]

We can buy and use, right?

[Vince Beiser]

Exactly, exactly. But this is where we get into how we can do things better. So we need metals. Right. That's what so much of our civilization depends on. But we can be way more efficient with how we use it. We can do a lot more recycling, which is exactly what a guy like Steve is doing. We can also be reusing and repairing our gadgets. Right. Like for a long time, all these. The manufacturers have deliberately made their things difficult to repair. So now there's a movement on to force them to basically make Apple and Samsung and everybody else to make it easier to fix their stuff so that it lasts longer. And, you know, as consumers, we can also take some responsibility. Right. You don't have to get a new iPhone every single year. Well, you've got that wooden one. I understand. You need to upgrade.

[Michael Costa]

Recycling, man. Is recycling perfect. The way we have it now, I throw it in a blue bin, I'm a hero. I don't have to think about it ever again. But talk a little bit about the depth. You go in on what it costs and the resources it takes to recycle.

[Vince Beiser]

Yeah. So recycling too, turns out to have some serious downsides to it. It's really energy intensive, it's really polluting, and it's often done on the backs of the poorest people in the world. So one of the places I went was Lagos, Nigeria, the biggest city in Africa. And I spent some time there with guys who are recycling digital junk, right? Our old cell phones, laptops. These are guys sitting around with hammers and screwdrivers, just cracking open those things like walnuts and picking out the little bits of metal in them.

[Michael Costa]

You tell a story about people burning. Standing around, burning electrical wire to be able to later dig into the metal that's in the. All those charging cords.

[Vince Beiser]

Exactly. All our cables, you know, they've got plastic and rubber outside and copper inside. They want the copper, they burn the rest of the stuff. And these guys are just standing around this incredibly, like, thick, toxic, oily, reeking smoke, right? And you know, I asked one of them, I was like, well, aren't you worried? I mean, these guys are just like in flip flops and T shirts. No safety equipment, nothing. And I asked one of them, aren't you, you know, aren't you worried about breathing in all this smoke? And he just said, like, you know, it's a job. I'm living in Nigeria. This is the only job I've got. And I said, well, how long have you been doing it? He said, since I was eight.

[Michael Costa]

Jesus.

[Vince Beiser]

I said, how old are you now? He was 35 years old.

[Michael Costa]

Right. Man. I have a drawer at home that has 100 wires in it.

[Vince Beiser]

Mm.

[Michael Costa]

Six iPhones. And don't judge. Cause you have the same drawer. We all have this drawer. I don't know what to do with the phone.

[Vince Beiser]

Yeah, right.

[Michael Costa]

This is such a North American problem.

[Vince Beiser]

Right, Right.

[Michael Costa]

But it is a real rich guy problem.

[Vince Beiser]

Well, it is a. It's a real problem for the world. Right. Because all that stuff is just going to waste. Right. We should be. We could be recycling it.

[Lewis Black]

Right.

[Vince Beiser]

But the problem is there just isn't an easy way to do that. So the good news is, like, actually in places like Nigeria, in the developing world, turns out they are way more efficient at it. They recycle something like 90% of their E waste. Whereas here, only one out of every six cell phones gets recycled, gets junked. So there's a lot we can learn from those places.

[Michael Costa]

It's an easy punchline. Trump wanting to take Greenland. Then I read your book, Then I read about Greenland's vast resources of minerals and metals, and I go, oh, this might not be a joke.

[Vince Beiser]

Mm.

[Michael Costa]

Is this what America has to do to keep up so we can all get the new iPhone all the time?

[Vince Beiser]

It's not.

[Michael Costa]

Do you Support Trump taking over Greenland through military force.

[Vince Beiser]

I do not. Okay. I'm from Canada, my friend, and I know we're next after Greenland.

[Michael Costa]

That's true.

[Vince Beiser]

No.

[Lewis Black]

Oh.

[Michael Costa]

You wrote like a Canadian. This has hope and sympathy. And.

[Vince Beiser]

They spelled color with a U.

[Michael Costa]

Yeah, they spelled color with a U. This might not be a joke about Greenland. We need these metals.

[Vince Beiser]

Here's the thing. We need these metals for sure. And Greenland does have an awful lot of them. There are other places in the world we can get them. So the thing about Greenland, though, it's chock full of especially a bunch of metals called rare earths, which we need for wind turbines. We need them for electric car motors. We also need them for our cell phones. The color red in your cell phone is thanks to one particular metal called europium. No. Europium. No, red in your cell phone.

[Michael Costa]

Yeah.

[Vince Beiser]

Anyway. What?

[Michael Costa]

Yeah, Europium.

[Vince Beiser]

Europium.

[Michael Costa]

That's so funny. Now that sign makes sense. That said europium. Free cell phone for sale. No, I've never seen such a thing.

[Vince Beiser]

Anyway, but Greenland.

[Michael Costa]

Editors, please edit out that entire set in episode.

[Vince Beiser]

So, problem is, there are a lot of these metals there, but number one, really hard to get them. Greenland's really far away. The weather's incredibly harsh. Also, the people living in Greenland aren't really that hard on the idea. They've already shot down one rare earth mine that folks tried to open up there because they didn't want all the, you know, all the environmental chaos that comes with it.

[Michael Costa]

There was a few things in this book that were promising to me. One of them was that there have been successful communities that have pushed off or fought off mining, at least that you mentioned. You might have been lying. Some really cool things like experimenting with plants that absorb metals.

[Vince Beiser]

Yeah.

[Michael Costa]

And then also this whole idea of someone mining in space. This is some cool shit. Which one of those do you want to talk about? Well, let's talk about the plants, because I love if plants are the answer to all of us.

[Vince Beiser]

Isn't that a great idea?

[Michael Costa]

That is so cool.

[Vince Beiser]

So I absolutely love this. It's one of the many solutions that I talk about. And basically, there are several dozen kinds of plants which suck up different kinds of metal, nickel and other stuff from the soil. And in theory, who knew? Right?

[Michael Costa]

Right. Who knew?

[Vince Beiser]

But so in theory, you can plant a bunch of these plants in a place where we have that metal, especially, like places that are already polluted, like where there used to be a mine or whatever. They draw it up, and then you burn the plants or you somehow pull the metal out of the plants and, and it can be done. There are a couple of startups and a couple of research labs working on it. I love the idea so far. Sad to say, it's a long way from any kind of commercial scale.

[Michael Costa]

And you talked about how that was planted somewhere and then the plant took over and screwed up the whole environment. So that's a bummer.

[Vince Beiser]

Yeah, there's always a downside somewhere.

[Michael Costa]

How would we mine in space? And how is this not a movie yet? Yeah, but there is someone trying to mine in space.

[Vince Beiser]

There are quite a few people trying to mine in space.

[Michael Costa]

How bad you hate your family if you're like, honey, I got this new idea, I'm going to mine in space. Okay, last question. How can I, how can you be a better consumer? So I can't take on a mining company, but how can I do this better? I mean, this is really scary shit you're talking about here.

[Vince Beiser]

Yeah. So I mean, so all those things we've been talking about, which is really what most of the second half of the book is about, but also the number one thing that we as individuals can do is, if possible, don't buy a car.

[Michael Costa]

I know, that was a heavy sentence. I read.

[Vince Beiser]

Uh huh.

[Michael Costa]

I know as a man who has six cars and nine motorcycles, that's not true. Why? Why should we not buy a car?

[Vince Beiser]

Well, because cars are by far the most material and energy intensive thing that most of us own. Unless. Except for your house, if you own a house. Right. And I'm not saying you're a bad person if you own a car, even if you own nine cars. Right. I own a car myself.

[Michael Costa]

Yeah.

[Vince Beiser]

What I am saying is we need to get to a place, we need to reduce the number of cars that are out there. Because if we swap all 1 billion gas cars that are already out there for 1 billion electric vehicles, we're going to swap one set of problems for another.

[Michael Costa]

Right.

[Vince Beiser]

Much better is we got to reduce the number of cars by giving people the freedom to choose whether or not to have a car. Because right now most places in America you've got to have a car, you need one. But if we can promote things like bicycling, public transit, getting around by foot so that fewer people need to own cars so that more people can choose whether or not they want to own a car, we'll all be much better off.

[Michael Costa]

Thank you for writing a great book, It's a great read. Power Metal is available now. Vince Beiser. We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back after this.

[Vince Beiser]

Thank you.

[Michael Costa]

That's our show for tonight. But before we go, this Sunday, I'm headed to Asheville, North Carolina, to participate in a charity tennis event to support Hurricane Helene relief efforts in western North Carolina. You can support this cause by going to the link below to make a donation or bid on great auction items, like even an autographed book from me available now. Now here it is, your moment of Zen. Mr. Chairman, you're a wise man, Mr.

[Vince Beiser]

Chair.

[Michael Costa]

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chairman. Before we go to Lee, Mr. Chairman.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yes? What do you want?

[Michael Costa]

Explore more shows from the Daily show podcast universe by searching the Daily Show. Wherever you get your podcast, watch the Daily show weeknights at 1110 Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount. Plus.

[Lewis Black]

Paramount Podcasts.