Short Run: Introducing "Elements of Energy" from WBUR's On Point

The week of March 15, host Meghna Chakrabarti of On Point brings you a special series, "Elements of Energy: Mining for a Green Future," that explores the environmental and human cost of mining for those elements — and asks what it would take for the U.S. to meet the Biden administration's green energy goals.

Episode breakdown:

Episode 1. The lithium boom: What's holding back a lithium rush in the U.S.? The U.S. sits on some of the largest lithium reserves in the world. It’s a key element for clean energy. The start of On Point’s weeklong exploration “Elements of Energy” takes us inside America’s push for a lithium boom. Debuts March 11.

Episode 2. The copper trade off: Protecting today's lands versus preserving tomorrow's climate Copper is key to our green energy future, but copper extraction is deeply harmful to the environment now. Episode two of On Point’s special series “Elements of Energy” explores how to resolve that contradiction. Debuts March 12.

Episode 3. The human cost of cobalt: Modern slavery in the Democratic Republic of Congo Most of the world’s cobalt is extracted in the Democratic Republic of Congo. But to get it, hundreds of thousands of Congolese people labor with no other means to survive. On episode three of On Point’s special series — cobalt and the human cost of mining. Debuts March 13.

Episode 4. The promise of nickel: Power and prosperity in Indonesia To electrify our economy, the world needs more nickel. And Indonesia has it. Can nickel pave the road to prosperity? In the next part of “Elements of Energy”: How the rush for metals is shaking up global geopolitics. Debuts March 14.

Episode 5. The goal: Can the U.S. actually meet its ambitious climate targets? The United States has set ambitious goals to transition to clean energy. But given the political, environmental, and human challenges, can the U.S. do it? We’ll explore that in the conclusion of our special series “Elements of Energy.”