Copper built the American grid. The tailings pond at Chino is where the full weight of that fact becomes visible: a flat sheet of teal cut into the surrounding waste rock’s dull silver, vast in the particular way that only things built to last centuries can be. The energy transition will need more of what this ground has produced. The question is whether we have learned anything from what it left behind.
Aluminum is a pillar of sustainable infrastructure and green technologies, appearing in everything from the batteries in our phones to the electric cars we drive. However, its production cannot be truly called “green” until its full climate impact is acknowledged and accounted for. Maria Guillamont, a Juris Doctor candidate at Lewis & Clark Law School and Legal Intern at SDSG, has been researching the overlooked environmental impact of aluminum – and why it matters now more than ever.
Indonesia’s policies have supported the growth of a nickel refining industry. This experience offers valuable insights for countries pursuing a similar path.
Sustainable Development Strategies Group (SDSG) promotes equitable and ecologically sound approaches to poverty reduction through sustainable management of natural resources.
