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The War Below by Ernest Scheyder

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The War Below

Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives

Ernest Scheyder

Atria/One Signal Publishers · Print & ebook · February 18, 2025

Reading lane: Energy Industry

LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR NONFICTION AND THE 2024 FINANCIAL TIMES AND SCHRODERS BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD This unprecedented look inside the global battle to power our lives is “ required reading for anyone interested in the 360-degree impacts of the energy transition” (Daniel Poneman, former US Deputy Secretary of Energy) from acclaimed Reuters reporter Ernest Scheyder.

At a Glance

Why This Clicks

What Pulls You In

A grounded look at the minerals quietly steering energy, economics, and industrial ambition.

Come here for

  • Lithium and copper as real-world stakes
  • A business-facing look at the global scramble belowground

Expect

  • Insight over drama
  • Clear-eyed nonfiction pace

Book Details

Authors
Ernest Scheyder
Publisher
Atria/One Signal Publishers
Published
February 18, 2025
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
Energy Industry · Mining & Extraction Business
Reading lane
Energy Industry

Affinity

Publisher Categories

  • International Economics

  • Energy Industry

  • Geopolitics

About This Book

LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR NONFICTION AND THE 2024 FINANCIAL TIMES AND SCHRODERS BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD This unprecedented look inside the global battle to power our lives is “ required reading for anyone interested in the 360-degree impacts of the energy transition” (Daniel Poneman, former US Deputy Secretary of Energy) from acclaimed Reuters reporter Ernest Scheyder. To build electric vehicles, solar panels, cell phones, and millions of other devic...

Read full description

LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR NONFICTION AND THE 2024 FINANCIAL TIMES AND SCHRODERS BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD This unprecedented look inside the global battle to power our lives is “ required reading for anyone interested in the 360-degree impacts of the energy transition” (Daniel Poneman, former US Deputy Secretary of Energy) from acclaimed Reuters reporter Ernest Scheyder. To build electric vehicles, solar panels, cell phones, and millions of other devices means the world must dig more mines to extract lithium, copper, and other vital building blocks. But mines are deeply unpopular, even as they have a role to play in fighting climate change and powering crucial technologies. These tensions have sparked a worldwide reckoning over the sourcing of necessary materials, and no one understands the complexities of these issues better than Ernest Scheyder. The War Below reveals the explosive brawl among industry titans, conservationists, community groups, policymakers, and many others over whether the habitats of rare plants, sensitive ecosystems, Indigenous holy sites, and other places should be dug up for their riches. With accessible and “illuminating” (Chris Miller, author of Chip War ) writing, Scheyder shows the human toll of this war and explains why recycling and other newer technologies have struggled to gain widespread use. He also expertly chronicles Washington’s attempts to wean itself off supplies from China, the global leader in mineral production and processing. The War Below paints a powerfully honest and nuanced picture of what is at stake in this new fight for energy independence, revealing how America and the rest of the world’s hunt for the “new oil” directly affects us all.

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