The War Below: AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4 ‘TODAY’ cover art

The War Below: AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4 ‘TODAY’

Lithium, copper, and the global battle to power our lives

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The War Below: AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4 ‘TODAY’

By: Ernest Scheyder
Narrated by: John Moraitis
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A FINANCIAL TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR
AN AMAZON BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR SO FAR FOR 2024
LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR NONFICTION, AND THE FT BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD

The trillion-dollar battle for the resources to power our future. Oil and gas defined the twentieth century. Now lithium, copper, cobalt, rare earths and nickel will define the twenty-first.

The world is moving towards replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy. But building electric vehicles, solar panels, and millions of other devices requires digging more mines. Critical minerals are vital to many sustainable technologies, and the competition for them is intensifying.

Nations which aspire to energy independence are ever more intertwined: a hedge fund manager's attempt to revive rare earths mining in California needs Chinese expertise, and international reliance on Africa's mining sector persists despite concern over child labour. Meanwhile, ecological dilemmas abound: a proposed lithium mine in Nevada would help global car manufacturers slash their dependence on fossil fuels, but developing that mine could cause the extinction of a flower found nowhere else on the planet.

As investors attempt to predict how the geopolitics of resource extraction will unfold, this is a story of the industry giants, researchers, and policymakers at the forefront of the new energy wars. International Politics & Government Inspiring Natural History Mining Africa
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The War Below is a poignant and very relevant book about the hidden costs of the green energy transition. It tells powerful stories about the people and places affected by the race for lithium, copper and other minerals, and really makes you think about the trade-offs involved.
That said, I found it very hard to follow as an audiobook. There are so many projects, companies, legal battles and technical terms that it can get overwhelming, and I often lost track of who was who.
Important subject, but not the easiest listen.

Important but hard to follow

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Topic is very interesting and relevant story line makes it a hard listen at times

Relevant but at times hard to follow

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I bought this because I wanted to understand more about where minerals fit into the global power struggles that are coming our way. It tries to do that, but the author is a donkey not a thoroughbred. It trudges along lifting the heavy weights and dropping facts to show its erudition, but it fails to ignite. I am afraid it is worthy, important but, to this reader, boring, which is ironic given the subject is often mining.

Important but Dreary

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Really interesting book, on a fascinating and essential topic. Book covers lots of detail and a variety of projects. Downside is the reading though. The reader is very very dry and I found that I zoned out on a number of occasions because he’s so dull. Also has a habit of pausing in unnatural places as if he’s lost his place in the text. Spoils a great book sadly.

Fascinating subject. Reading very dry though

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The narration is always dry and often distracting. The content is very informative and good.

Not all authors should narrate their own books

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