Author of ‘The War Below,’ Ernest Scheyder, speaks in Ely June 4. Photo by Joe Friedrichs
To build electric vehicles, solar panels, cell phones, and millions of other devices means the world must dig more mines to extract lithium, copper, and other vital building blocks. But mines are deeply unpopular, including a proposed mine on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, even as they have a role to play in fighting climate change and powering crucial technologies. These tensions have sparked a worldwide reckoning over the sourcing of necessary materials, and no one understands the complexities of these issues better than Ernest Scheyder.
The War Below reveals the explosive brawl among industry titans, conservationists, community groups, policymakers, and many others over whether the habitats of rare plants, sensitive ecosystems, Indigenous holy sites, and other places should be dug up for their riches.
Scheyder was in Ely June 4 to speak with community members about the book and the complexities of the global battle to power our lives. He spoke with Paddle and Portage following the event. Below is an audio clip of Scheyder’s interview.