Lithium für die Energiewende: Warum grüner Kapitalismus neue Konflikte schafft
Thea Riofrancos, a political scientist, has published a new book examining the contradictions of the green transition. In an interview with the German newspaper der Freitag, she argues that the shift to renewable energy and electric vehicles requires vast amounts of lithium, copper, and other raw materials, often extracted in the Global South. This extraction destroys ecosystems, exacerbates social conflicts, and creates new geopolitical dependencies. Riofrancos questions whether the green transformation justifies these costs, and contends that a just energy transition requires more than just batteries and electric cars. The interview highlights the need to address the social and environmental impacts of resource extraction, and calls for a broader approach to sustainability that goes beyond technological fixes.
Key facts
- Thea Riofrancos is a political scientist.
- She has published a new book on the contradictions of the green transition.
- The book is discussed in an interview with der Freitag.
- The green transition requires lithium, copper, and other raw materials.
- These materials are often extracted in the Global South.
- Extraction destroys ecosystems and exacerbates social conflicts.
- It creates new geopolitical dependencies.
- Riofrancos argues that a just energy transition needs more than batteries and electric cars.
Entities
Artists
- Thea Riofrancos
Institutions
- der Freitag
Locations
- Global South