Drilled
Drilled
Pushkin Industries
The Paradox of Mining Lithium to Save the Planet | The Spill
1 hour 3 minutes Posted Oct 16, 2026 at 7:00 am.
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Show notes

Most proposals to keep fossil fuels in the ground rely on taking new minerals out of the ground — especially lithium, a major component in the batteries powering electric vehicles. In Thea Riofrancos' book, Extraction, she visits the communities most impacted by lithium mining, explores the mineral's politics and history, and proposes a pathway toward harm reduction.

Reading list from today’s show:

1. Thea Riofrancos' book, Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism 

2. Amy Westervelt's new book, Brought to You By: How Corporations Warped the Truth, Conned the Public, and Broke Democracy 

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