Episode 3: Heavy Metal (who’s paying for it?)
Your phone, your laptop, the servers running the AI model you asked a question this morning: all of it starts as rock pulled out of somebody's land. Following the previous episode of Panic With A Purpose, Nhi and CJ go upstream from water into the minerals powering our technologies - lithium, cobalt, copper, iron - and ask who ends up carrying the cost of each option, and who gets to decide that. Europe is mining at home now in the name of sovereignty, which turns out to mean new permits on Sámi land. Nevada issued lithium permits on ancestral land without consulting anyone. And the salt flats of Argentina, Bolivia and Chile are being drained for a transition their residents will not directly benefit from. We talk about: - Why swapping one mineral for another just moves the harm somewhere else - Whether recycling is a solution or just a second supply chain with the same labour problems - Right to repair, the EU batteries regulation, and what holds up in practice - And of course - who controls the supply, who benefits and who gets left behind. Also included: colonial discourse in Shrek, a broken toaster in Japan, one derailed hope train, and CJ spiralling live on mic. This is the second episode in our series on the environmental footprint of technology and digital infrastructure. To learn more, visit https://www.nuatlas.org/podcast 📚 Sources referenced in the episode https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NAvorowa9SMt9o_UmmoCyspjabf5ZcTxyFVUm36-3ho/edit?usp=sharing 💬 Leave your thoughts, corrections, or questions in the comments or use https://www.nuatlas.org/contact About the podcast Hosted by Nhi and CJ the EJ guy, the podcast is exploring climate, justice, and the role of data & AI in shaping our collective future. We panic… but instead of letting it overwhelm us, we use it as fuel to get educated and promote solutions! FOLLOW US ON SOCIALS Insta https://www.instagram.com/nu.atlasorg/ Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/nuatlas/ Sunscribe to the podcast: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2mjSjyedbqZGo8N5dZlddH?si=5bf41a51a7064545 Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/panic-with-a-purpose/id1877824304 Show cast and crew: Hosts and creators: Nhiyc (Nhi Corcoran) & CJ the EJ Guy (Charles Knoble) Producer: Joanna Jastrzebska Editor: Maxine Beceril Disclaimer Acknowledging our bias: This episode was written by our team operating primarily in Global North contexts, using English-language sources, with easier access to Western frameworks and examples. We're aware this creates blind spots. Our attempt at accountability: Actively seeking examples from Global South, particularly communities on extraction frontlines Centring resistance from those most impacted by climate and data extraction Acknowledging when we lack information rather than generalising from limited examples Inviting correction and contribution from global listeners Committing to ongoing learning and updating this brief as we learn more What we're not doing: Claiming objectivity (impossible. all research has perspective) Treating Global North frameworks as universal or superior Using Global South examples only as victims/problems rather than leaders/solutions Assuming our audience shares our context Pretending we can represent experiences we haven't lived If you hear gaps, misrepresentations, or have examples we've missed: tell us. We want this to be a conversation!
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