Pitfall

In PITFALL, Christopher Pollan tackles one of the most important questions of our time: how do we square the need for so-called "green technologies" that decrease our independence on fossil fuels with the impacts of the enormous mineral resources required to build and maintain them? A seasoned journalist whose reporting takes us to mines all over the world, Pollan isn't afraid to offer controversial solutions-- which are exactly the ideas that have the potential to move us forward in our current stalemate. I recommend PITFALL for any readers who own an electric car or a solar panel, and especially for… show more.

This one challenged me to get out of my historian’s bubble and confront the impacts of mining in the present and near future, especially those associated with the looming energy transition. Pollon blew me away with sobering facts, such as the need to mine 3 billion tons of minerals to stay below 2 degrees of global temperature increases.

I was also captivated by the author’s accounts of his travels to the front lines of the critical minerals boom, which paint a vivid portrait of the vast scale of development associated with lithium, copper, and nickel development. Pollon’s book reminded me… show more.