POWER METAL
The Race for the Resources That Will Shape the Future
by Vince Beiser published by Riverhead Books 2024 Reviewed and summarized with some updates by Frederick E. Simms, Ph.D., CPG-10292
In the 70s, I was evaluating ceramic setters for rapid glazing of
insulators that had to withstand considerable thermal shock and the lithium-bearing mineral spodumene was a major constituent for fabricating the setters. I also was tasked with making a sodium containing-ceramic that conducted sodium ions for vehicle batter- ies and other uses. The potential customer lost interest for several reasons including durability of the solid ceramic partition. Fast forward to the 21st Century and we are using these same inor- ganic materials in new and innovative ways. For instance, I owned a GM Volt vehicle with two power sources one including lithium- containing battery with an overall average 160 miles to the gallon as I drive mostly in the suburbs. I replaced it with an EV recently.
The author has created an easy read by interspersing important
facts with interviews and stories. It is well-known by those who might be interested in this book that common elements and more exotic elements are an absolute necessity for the coming “Electrical- Digital Age”. The three pillars of this Age are the Internet, renew- able energy, and electric cars as described by the author plus many other products. This book is an overview of some of the good and the not-so-good world-wide efforts to obtain from the earth and waste materials to satisfy our growing material needs. The author also describes the hopes and difficult conditions of everyday folks all over the world to find and recover materials that we hugely need now and in the future. I have listed some of the presented facts since they drive certain present day resource issues.
The author might have some bias as he says that he owns a Nissan Leaf as doing his part “to save the earth”. We really depend on metals - for example, mobile phones may contain 2/3rds of all elements. Furthermore, he describes in vivid detail the world-wide environmental damage caused by the mining and getting rid of waste so that we can support the “Electrical-Digital Age” and stave off the possible effects of Climate Change. He also mentions the political upheaval, mayhem and murder that have occurred. The prospects and the difficulties are described in an impactful way.
Mr. Beiser went around the world and visited mines, protest sites,
research labs, shipyards, deserts, junk yards, and garbage dumps. He met with a wide variety of people involved from investors to scientists and manual laborers to AI experts.
The author cites enormous amounts of different metals that will be needed in the next 20 years-for example the amount of copper that will be needed is equal to the entire amount ever produced. Yet at the same time approximately half the rivers of the U.S. West have been seriously affected by this mining. In the future the amount of rock and water that is expected to be disturbed is huge.
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Amazon.com He describes with specific examples-how China got its control
of many important elements and how the U.S. dropped the ball. The National Association of Manufacturers and other information sources indicate that China mines approximately 60 to 70 percent of world’s rare earths and processes 90% of these essential materi- als. Rare earths are difficult to mine and process. This has caused significant environmental damage along the way and China has and could use their stockpiles to get their way. “One important thing to consider is that China can’t control geology.” But they certainly have had a world view that has made up for that.
In the 1970s the U.S. got out of the rare earth business at the
Mountain Pass Site of Moly Corporation because environmental costs and other world competitors appear to be state owned. Recently the Mountain Pass site under MP Materials and others have come back with help from the U.S. Department of Defense. Most of the ore still has to be sent to China to be processed. Further, in Myanmar and other places the mining of rare earths has caused conflict and considerable pollution. Recent news indicates that rare earths and rare earth magnets of various grades are difficult to acquire because of China’s actions. Several U.S. corporations have made deals to buy large amounts of magnets once U.S. manufactur- ers start production in the near term.
The history and importance of copper in our lives is exten-
sively described. Copper has been called “the new oil” according to Goldman Sachs. In 10 years the need for copper will double. For example, there are 175 pounds of copper in an EV. With the exception of gold, no other metal has caused so much death and destruction. China refines and consumes far more copper than any other country and relies on foreign supplies for almost all of it. The mining difficulties are enormous; for example, the Chuqcuimata state-owned company needs to pump desalinated sea water up 10,000 ft. and over 100 miles from the Pacific Ocean for ore pro- cessing. There are many ways that copper is stolen and lives are lost. South Africa has prohibited the exportation of copper because of theft and related problems.
There is a description of how water is used in the Atacama Desert
for mining and processing lithium and copper. There are benefits and certainly negatives for the local inhabitants growing crops. Likewise, in arid areas such as the Imperial Valley, geothermal and lithium-containing brine development has affected farming.
The possibilities of mining the deep sea nodules for cobalt, nickel
and copper and other elements has been slow because of the great depths, potential environmental damage, the lack of knowledge and the International Seabed Authority has not completed rules
Jan.Feb.Mar 2026 • TPG 5
BOOK REVIEW
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