The Icarus Effect

Episode One: Rare Earth Minerals

Welcome! On our first episode, we'll dive into the problems surrounding one of the most ubiquitous technologies: rare earth minerals necessary for sustainable energy sources like solar power. We'll start by exploring the impact and history of fossils fuels, then compare it to the extraction of rare earths. Along the way, we'll consider the effects in two main areas: human rights and the environment. Works Cited: United Nations. “Facts and Figures | United Nations.” United Nations, “Hydraulic Fracturing and Health.” n.d. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. “Cobalt Is Critical to the Renewable Energy Transition. How Can We Minimize Its Social and Environmental Cost? | Ensia.” 2020. Ensia. May 14, 2020. Kara, Siddharth. Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives. First edition. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2023. Surma, By Katie. 2023. “Mining Critical to Renewable Energy Tied to Hundreds of Alleged Human Rights Abuses - Inside Climate News.” Inside Climate News. June 7, 2023. “Coal Mines.” n.d. UK Parliament. Admin, Madeo. 2022. “Convict Leasing in Alabama Coal Mines.” Equal Justice Initiative. June 3, 2022. Terrell, Ellen. 2021. “The Convict Leasing System: Slavery in Its Worst Aspects | Inside Adams.” The Library of Congress. June 17, 2021. McLean, Iain. 2025. “Aberfan: No End of a Lesson - History &Amp; Policy.” History & Policy. February 25, 2025. “Executive Summary – the Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions – Analysis - IEA.” n.d. IEA. Davey, Charlotte. 2024. “The Environmental Impacts of Cobalt Mining in Congo.” Earth.Org [http://Earth.Org]. March 5, 2024. Bontron, Cécile. 2024. “Rare-earth Mining in China Comes at a Heavy Cost for Local Villages.” The Guardian, November 11, 2024. NASA Earth Observatory. n.d. “Where Batteries Begin.” . Barber, Harriet. 2024. “Battle Lines Redrawn as Argentina’s Lithium Mines Ramp up to Meet Electric Car Demand.” The Guardian, July 25, 2024. Earth.Org [http://Earth.Org]. 2025. “Explainer: What Is Green Colonialism?” August 14, 2025. Valk, Steve. 2023. “Are Clean Technologies and Renewable Energies Better for the Environment Than Fossil Fuels?” Citizens’ Climate Lobby. August 17, 2023.