The Truth About the Smartphone Supply Chain

The 21st century runs on batteries: from phones and laptops, to electric vehicles, drones and clean energy. Embedded in these technologies are batteries containing rare earth minerals, drawn from a brutal supply chain that begins in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The race to electrify the global energy system is underway, but awareness about this supply chain is woefully inadequate among the users of these technologies – many of whom profess to have green politics.

On Downstream this week, Aaron Bastani spoke with Nicholas Niarchos, author of The Elements of Power: A Story of War, Technology, and the Dirtiest Supply Chain on Earth.

How has the history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo unfolded over the past two centuries? How has China come to control so much of the rare earth supply chain? Is foreign states’ activity in the DRC development, or a new form of colonialism? And is this supply chain now set to replace fossil fuels in the 21st century, as the dirtiest supply chain on earth?