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Bad Energy: The AI Hucksters, Rogue Lithium Extractors, and Wind Industrialists Who Are Selling Off Our Future

2026

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Synopsis

In Bad Energy: The AI Hucksters, Rogue Lithium Extractors, and Wind Industrialists Who Are Selling Off Our Future, Joshua Frank provides a critical examination of the global transition to renewable energy, arguing that the movement has been co-opted by capitalist interests more concerned with profit than genuine ecological preservation. While acknowledging the absolute necessity of moving away from fossil fuels, Frank contends that the current haphazard rush toward "green" solutions—such as massive solar arrays, industrial wind farms, and deep-sea mining—is causing its own set of environmental and social catastrophes. He explores how these large-scale projects often displace indigenous communities and destroy fragile ecosystems, replicating the exploitative patterns of the extractive industries they were meant to replace.

The book further explores the paradoxical nature of modern energy demand, highlighting how the rise of energy-intensive technologies like Artificial Intelligence and massive data centers is outpacing the capacity of renewable sources. Frank takes readers on a global journey from the lithium mines of Bolivia and the copper pits of Montana to the geopolitical flashpoints of the South Pacific, illustrating the high human and environmental cost of the "white gold" rush. Ultimately, Frank argues that we cannot simply consume our way out of the climate crisis through technological fixes or corporate-led initiatives. Instead, he calls for a radical departure from the ideology of endless growth and a total rejection of the market-driven interests that he believes are accelerating planetary collapse.

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