The global competition for vital mineral resources has become one of the most pressing issues on the world stage in recent decades. Many products and processes essential for decarbonization rely on rare minerals, such as lithium for electric batteries, niobium and neodymium for wind turbines, as well as more common metals like aluminum and copper for power transmission cables. Yet, the environmental consequences of competing for these minerals can be as damaging as carbon emissions—especially when mining is poorly managed. They also carry profound geopolitical implications.
Ernest Scheyder tackles these issues in his book The War Below, with a specific focus on the United States. He describes how American policymakers’ desire for national self-sufficiency in critical resources and technologies has often clashed with environmental activism, threatened Indigenous lands, and even pitted federal agencies—tasked with representing these competing interests—against one another. This has created uncertainty for investors seeking to develop these resources. Repeated shifts in U.S. administrations have only deepened this uncertainty, frustrating efforts to secure the minerals needed both for American self-reliance and to slow climate change.
Contradictions Between Environment and Minerals
The book opens with a scene that encapsulates its central dilemma. In 1983, a botanist named Jerry Tiehm was collecting plants in Nevada when he discovered a previously unrecorded rare flower—later named Tiehm’s buckwheat. This flower grows only in a single location: Nevada’s Rhyolite Ridge. Decades later, in 2016, the same site was found to contain vast lithium reserves—a critical mineral for clean-energy technologies—that the mining company Ioneer planned to extract through open-pit mining.
This sets up the book’s central paradox: the clash between preserving biodiversity—in the form of a rare flower—and accessing lithium deposits needed to combat climate change. Scheyder raises critical questions: Could the U.S. face threats from rivals restricting access to vital materials? Can the required minerals for a clean-energy future be produced domestically or abroad under acceptable labor and environmental standards? And despite the urgent demand for minerals, are some places—especially sacred or ecologically unique sites—too valuable to mine at all?
Rather than advocating for one side, Scheyder presents multiple perspectives, fostering dialogue between competing viewpoints. He shows how reliance on inconsistent policies and politically conflicting goals often prevents the U.S. from meeting its mineral needs.
For instance, while the U.S. holds about 24% of global lithium reserves, it produces only 3% of global supply (projected by 2030), and lacks major manufacturing facilities. Meanwhile, China dominates the battery supply chain and produces electric cars at €10,000 less per unit than Europe. Despite U.S. ambitions to shift toward clean energy, bureaucratic red tape and environmental regulations make developing new mines nearly impossible.
The Apache Tribe and Oak Flat
Scheyder illustrates these tensions through case studies. One focuses on the San Carlos Apache Tribe and their historical struggles with both the U.S. government and mining companies. In Arizona, their reservation experienced cycles of economic boom and bust tied to mining throughout the 20th century, leaving poverty and deteriorating infrastructure in its wake.
When one of the world’s largest untapped copper deposits was discovered beneath Oak Flat, hopes for economic revival rose. Yet, extracting it required block-cave mining, a method that collapses rock layers to access deep ore bodies, creating a massive artificial cavern.
For the Apache, Oak Flat is sacred land. Mining it would mean destroying a site of immense cultural and spiritual value. Environmental concerns over water use and ecological impact compounded opposition. Despite efforts dating back to 2013, the project has stalled, blocked by regulatory hurdles and fierce resistance. Mining giant Rio Tinto eventually suspended operations under mounting pressure.
Interestingly, the Apache maintain a different relationship with another Arizona copper mine—Morenci—where they provide water to support operations. Scheyder highlights this as proof that the tribe does not reject mining or the green transition outright; rather, they oppose the destruction of sacred spaces. He suggests flexibility exists: compromise solutions, such as altering mining methods or locations, might resolve seemingly irreconcilable disputes.
Rebirth: Two Mining Models
Scheyder compares two projects: Yellow Pine in Idaho and Pebble Mine in Alaska.
- Yellow Pine: Managed by Perpetua Resources, this project aims to reopen a historic mine to produce antimony, a strategic mineral used in World War II for strengthening weapons and in modern times for flame retardants. The site, however, was long classified as a toxic waste zone due to pollution from earlier mining. Perpetua pledged to clean up legacy contamination in exchange for new mining rights—offering a potential model for sustainable redevelopment.
- Pebble Mine: Located in untouched Alaskan wilderness, it contains some of the world’s largest untapped copper and gold reserves. Yet, regulatory battles and shifting federal policies have repeatedly delayed it. Environmental groups even purchased surrounding land to block development.
Scheyder concludes that communities are often more willing to accept renewed mining in historically active areas than in pristine or culturally significant locations. While unsurprising, this observation provides practical guidance for policymakers and companies seeking realistic project approvals.
The Rhyolite Ridge Conflict
The book returns to Nevada’s Rhyolite Ridge lithium project, dramatized through two voices:
- James Calaway, Ioneer’s chairman, who frames the mine as essential to fighting climate change.
- Patrick Donnelly, of the Center for Biological Diversity, who opposes relocating or disturbing the rare buckwheat flower’s habitat.
Ioneer commissioned an independent botanist to study the flower, hoping science could resolve the dispute. The findings, however, showed the plant was deeply tied to the lithium-rich soil itself, meaning relocation was impossible.
Based on the report, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined the mine would cause “irreversible harm” to the species and proposed listing it as endangered. Ioneer redesigned its mine plan to create protective buffer zones around the flower populations. Soon after, the Bureau of Land Management granted permits.
The company also struck a deal with Ford to supply U.S.-sourced lithium for its EV batteries, turning the project into a cornerstone of America’s clean-energy supply chain—balancing economic goals with biodiversity protection.
Beyond Case Studies: The Bigger Picture
Although the narrative begins and ends with Rhyolite Ridge, Scheyder expands to wider themes:
- Responsible Mining Standards: The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA), created partly through efforts by Tiffany & Co., sets ethical and sustainable mining benchmarks.
- New Extraction Methods: Emerging technologies like direct lithium extraction, which promise less destructive alternatives to open-pit mining, though not yet proven at industrial scale.
Scheyder stresses the urgent need for a national dialogue on competing priorities—biodiversity versus mineral demand for decarbonization. No matter the innovations, mining will remain noisy, dangerous, and destabilizing. This harsh reality will continue fueling the global battle over our energy future.
Source:
Ernest Scheyder, The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives, Atria, 2025.
