What does it actually mean to “go green”?
We often imagine a future powered by clean energy, electric cars, and renewable technologies. But beneath that hopeful vision lies a more complicated story—one that unfolds deep underground. In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Ernest Scheyder, author of The War Below, a book that takes us into the global race for the minerals that make our green future possible. From lithium and cobalt to rare earth elements, these resources power the very technologies we celebrate as sustainable. Scheyder invites us to pause and ask harder questions: If clean energy depends on mining, who pays the environmental and human costs? Can a transition be truly “green” if it relies on extraction that harms communities and ecosystems?
This conversation challenges us to rethink sustainability—not as a simple solution, but as a complex ethical dilemma. Perhaps going green isn’t just about changing what we consume, but about confronting the unseen systems that make our consumption possible.
To learn more about Ernest Scheyder's work please visit his website: https://www.ernestscheyder.com/
