A celebrated international bestseller that exposes the ticking time-bomb underneath our new technological order. The resources race is on. Powering our digital lives and green technologies are some of the Earth's most precious metals -- but they are running out. And what will happen when they do? The green-tech revolution will reduce our reliance on nuclear power, coal, and oil, but by breaking free of fossil fuels, we are setting ourselves up for a new dependence -- on rare metals like cobalt, gold, and palladium. These are essential to electric vehicles, wind turbines, and solar panels, as well as our smartphones, computers, tablets, and other technologies. But we know very little about how rare metals are mined and traded, or their environmental, economic, and geopolitical costs -- until now.
A gripping new investigation into the underbelly of digital technology, which addresses the pressing question of the carbon footprint it leaves behind. If digital technology were a country, it would be the third-highest consumer of electricity behind China and the United States. Every year, streaming technology generates as much greenhouse gas as Spain -- close to 1 per cent of global emissions. The video of 'Gangnam Style' was viewed around 1.7 billion times, using about 297 gigawatt hours, equivalent to that of a city with a population of 100,000. One Google search uses as much electricity as a lightbulb left on for 35 minutes. It turns out that the 'dematerialised' digital world, essential for communicating, working, and consuming, is much more tangible than we would like to believe. Today, it absorbs 10 per cent of the world's electricity and represents nearly 4 per cent of the planet's carbon dioxide emissions. We are struggling to understand these impacts, as they are obscured to us in the mirage of 'the cloud'. The result of an investigation carried out over two years on four continents, The Dark Cloud reveals the anatomy of a technology that is virtual only in name. Under the guise of limiting the impact of humans on the planet, it is already asserting itself as one of the major environmental challenges of the twenty-first century.
A gripping new investigation into the underbelly of digital technology, which
reveals not only how costly the virtual world is, but how damaging it is to
the environment.A simple 'like' sent from our smartphones mobilises will soon
constitute the largest infrastructure built by man. This small notification,
crossing the seven operating layers of the Internet, travels around the world,
using submarine cables, telephone antennas, and data centres, going as far as
the Arctic Circle.It turns out that the 'dematerialised' digital world,
essential for communicating, working, and consuming, is much more tangible
than we would like to believe. Today, it absorbs 10 per cent of the world's
electricity and represents nearly 4 per cent of the planet's carbon dioxide
emissions. We are struggling to understand these impacts, as they are obscured
to us in the mirage of 'the cloud'. Translated by Bianca Jacobsohn
Exploring the hidden environmental costs of our digital lives, the book reveals how seemingly innocuous actions, like a simple "like" on social media, trigger a vast and complex infrastructure that significantly impacts our planet. The narrative uncovers the staggering energy consumption and carbon emissions associated with the digital world, which absorbs 10 percent of global electricity and contributes nearly 4 percent of CO2 emissions. It challenges readers to confront the tangible reality behind the illusion of the "cloud" and its far-reaching consequences.
Set in a vibrant community, the story explores the dynamics of a cooperative living arrangement, highlighting the relationships and conflicts among its diverse residents. As they navigate personal challenges and shared responsibilities, themes of collaboration, trust, and the quest for belonging emerge. The narrative delves into individual backstories, revealing how their pasts influence their interactions and growth within the co-op. Through a blend of humor and drama, the book showcases the complexities of communal life and the bonds that can form in unexpected circumstances.
Transformacja energetyczna, rewolucja cyfrowa, przemiana ekologiczna...
Politycy, media, przemysłowcy zgodnie obiecują nam nowy świat, nareszcie
wyzwolony od ropy, zanieczyszczeń, niedostatków czy konfliktów zbrojnych. Ta
książka, będąca owocem sześcioletniego dochodzenia prowadzonego w dwunastu
krajach, pokazuje nam, że wcale tak się nie stanie!Odchodząc od paliw
kopalnych, tak naprawdę pogrążamy się w nowym uzależnieniu – od metali
rzadkich. Grafit, kobalt, ind, platynowce, wolfram, ziemie rzadkie to zasoby,
które stały się niezbędne dla rozwoju nowego społeczeństwa: ekologicznego
(samochody elektryczne, panele słoneczne) i scyfryzowanego (smartfony,
komputery, tablety i inne nieodłączne od naszej codzienności urządzenia).
Tymczasem koszty środowiskowe, gospodarcze i geopolityczne tej zależności będą
jeszcze większe niż te, które nasze przemysłowe społeczeństwo obecnie płaci.
Nawiązując do tego wszystkiego, niniejsza książka jest kontropowieścią o
transformacji energetycznej – przedstawiającą tajne dzieje wiele obiecującej
technologicznej odysei, a także kulisy ambitnych, bezinteresownych poszukiwań,
przynoszących jak dotąd zagrożenia równie kolosalne, co problemy, które miały
za zadanie rozwiązać. Guillaume Pitron – Francuski dziennikarz „Le Monde
Diplomatique”, „Geo” i „National Geographic”, autor filmów dokumentalnych,
laureat Nagrody im. Érika Izraelewicza za najlepsze śledztwo ekonomiczne
w2017roku. Głównym obszarem jego zainteresowań jest geopolityka surowców.
Guillaume Pitron regularnie wypowiada się na jej temat we francuskim
parlamencie i Komisji Europejskiej. Wojna o metale rzadkie. Ukryte oblicze
transformacji energetycznej i cyfrowej to jego pierwsza książka.
