This episode explores the challenges faced by Indigenous communities due to the increasing demand for transition minerals used in green technologies. Against the backdrop of the growing need for materials like nickel and lithium for electric vehicles and other sustainable technologies, Indigenous innovator Galina Angarova highlights the devastating environmental and social impacts of mining on Indigenous lands. More significantly, she discusses the disproportionate impact of mining on Indigenous communities, emphasizing the existential threat posed by the extraction of these minerals from their ancestral territories. For instance, she cites the Nornickel diesel spill in the Russian Arctic and the impact of lithium mining on water resources in the Atacama Desert. Angarova advocates for the implementation of free, prior, and informed consent, a crucial right that ensures Indigenous communities have a voice in decisions affecting their lands. She details her work with companies like Tesla and Ford to integrate this principle into their supply chains, illustrating how reputational and financial risks can incentivize corporate responsibility. Ultimately, the episode underscores the need for a holistic approach to the green energy transition, one that prioritizes Indigenous rights and traditional knowledge to achieve truly sustainable development.
