“Natural resources are today’s bread, and tomorrow’s hunger.”
From the moment the smartphone alarm wakes us up in the morning, we begin our day relying on the lithium battery. The toothbrush, the e-bike, the laptop, tablet, camera, hearing aid and smartwatch. The weedwhacker. The pacemaker. From the mundane to the lifesaving, lithium-powered devices get us through the day.
The demand for lithium batteries has skyrocketed in just a few years. This trend is forecast to accelerate with the global transition to electric vehicles.
Access to the minerals that power a battery has emerged as a vital geopolitical, economic, and social concern. So where does the lithium, the nickel, and the cobalt come from? And who controls their supply?
From the salt flats of South America, to the red earth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; from the nickel smelters in Indonesia, to factories in Northern France; from tribal lands of Northern Nevada to battery recycling plants in rural Georgia this film brings the viewer up close and personal with the people and communities impacted by this global phenomenon.