New “Planet of the Humans” documentary exposes the non-renewable side of renewable energy.
Massive worldwide buildout of renewable energy systems has increased demand for rare earth minerals like lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, palladium, and platinum, all of which are required to build batteries for today’s electric vehicles. The environmental impacts of extracting these materials are enormous, and they are growing increasingly rare as demand increases.
"We all want to feel good about something like the electric car, but in the back of your head somewhere you've thought, 'Yeah but where is the electricity coming from? And it's like, 'I don't want to think about that, I'm glad we have electric cars,'" Moore said. "I've passed by the windmill farms, and oh it's so beautiful to see them going, and don't tell me that we've gone too far now and it isn't going to save us ... Well, my feeling is just hit me with everything. I'm like let's just deal with it now, all at once."