Downstream: The Truth About Smartphones’ Dirty Supply Chain w/ Nicholas Niarchos

The 21st century runs on batteries: from phones and laptops to electric vehicles, drones and clean energy. Embedded in these batteries are 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 most people know almost nothing about how the necessary batteries are made – even those of us with green politics. Aaron Bastani finds out more with Nicholas Niarchos, author of The Elements of Power: A Story of War, Technology, and the Dirtiest Supply Chain on Earth. Help us build people-powered media:

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Downstream: The Truth About Smartphones’ Dirty Supply Chain w/ Nicholas Niarchos is an episode from Novara Audio: Radio for a Different Politics by Novara Media.

This episode is 1:18:18 long.

This episode was published on Apr 27, 2026.

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