The Elements of Power

The Elements of Power Synopsis

How we became addicted to a supply chain that wreaks havoc across the globe

Our world is shifting away from hydrocarbons and fossil fuels to renewable forms of power that rely more than ever on batteries. As demand for these products has grown, so has the need for the minerals used in their production, many of which are mined in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, site of vast cobalt and copper reserves.

In The Elements of Power, New Yorker writer Nicolas Niarchos takes the reader on a vivid, deeply-reported journey from the mines of Congo to the factories of China to trace the elements that have become indispensable for the technology upon which modern society is based. He explores the colonial context of Congo, the development of battery technologies by pioneering scientists, and how our reliance on rare earth elements has become a flashpoint in global diplomacy, whilst extracting a terrible price in child labour, corruption and exploitation.

Combining on-the-ground reporting, engrossing writing and historical research, The Elements of Power will be the definitive account of the new mineral rush.