The dramatic rise of electric vehicles has been touted as a major win for the environment. While this transition to ‘zero-emission’ vehicles may benefit developed nations, front-line communities and emerging economies are paying the price. The world desperately needs to find a healthy and fair balance in its energy transition. In Chile’s Salar de Atacama, locals watch helplessly as their ancestral lands wither and die, their precious water resources evaporating in salar brines. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, hope for a better life dissolves as well-funded Ugandan-led extremist groups force children as young as six into cobalt mines. Closer to home, Nevada’s Fort McDermitt Tribe and local ranchers fight to protect a sacred burial site and agricultural lands set to be sacrificed by Lithium Nevada, a mining company, in the coming days. Meanwhile, in California and other states, politicians like Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) pat themselves on the […]