What if the race to save the planet is harming the people who protect it? Indigenous advocate Galina Angarova exposes the hidden cost of the green energy transition, where the demand for minerals like nickel and lithium threatens to devastate Indigenous lands and livelihoods. She calls for a radical shift in mindset — one that centers Indigenous leadership, consent and reciprocity as the foundation of a truly just and sustainable future.

The hidden cost of the green transition's mineral rush

The global appetite for minerals like nickel and lithium, essential for green technologies, endangers Indigenous lands and cultures. Over half of transition minerals are found on or near Indigenous territories, threatening the livelihoods of millions who are their ecosystem’s best stewards. True sustainability demands centering Indigenous rights and wisdom, including the principle of free, prior, and informed consent. Only by shifting from extractive mindsets to reciprocal, community-led solutions can climate progress avoid repeating history’s injustices.

Green Tech’s Mineral Rush Risks Sacrificing Indigenous Futures

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indigenous peoples

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TED Stage Talk

TED Countdown: Overcoming Dilemmas in the Green Transition