Renewable energy’s hidden cost: High-tech mining wreaks environmental havoc
06/18/2025 / By Willow Tohi
Global metal extraction quadrupled since 1970, fueled by renewable energy demands.
Study links mining to water pollution, biodiversity loss and deforesation in sensitive zones like rainforests and deserts.
Top five countries (Russia, China, Australia, U.S., Indonesia) account for 50% of global mining areas.
Renewable energy projects require six to nine times more minerals than fossil fuel technologies.
Experts urge sustainable mining practices and stronger policies to balance progress with environmental stewardship.
In a stark reminder of the unintended consequences of renewable energy adoption, a new study warns that the global rush for lithium, copper and rare earth minerals to power wind turbines, solar panels and electric vehicles is causing irreversible environmental damage. Researchers from universities in Austria, Australia, Germany and the U.S. found that metal extraction has nearly quadrupled since 1970, with mining now threatening ecosystems, contaminating water supplies and displacing communities worldwide. Published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, the study underscores a critical dilemma: the clean energy transition cannot be sustained if it replicates the ecological exploitation of the fossil fuel era.
https://www.pollution.news/2025-06-18-high-tech-mining-wreaks-environmental-havoc.html
