Mining

Your average EV has six times more mineral content than a petrol- or diesel-powered vehicle. All those metals need to be dug, scraped, blasted, or leached out of the earth. There is massive demand for batteries as countries eye up ambitious zero-emissions targets. But what's the cost?

In Uruguay, Renato sets off an explosive to reveal an ancient, glittery stone: amethyst. In Italy, Enrico cuts slabs off of one of the most expensive marbles in the world: Calacatta.

Amethyst is one of the most abundant crystals in the world, but the most prized pieces can cost almost a million dollars. Some of the world's largest amethyst geodes come out of Artigas, Uruguay. The earth beneath this region is uniquely suited to producing amethyst.

Thousands of workers in southern Pakistan spend their lives mining and cooking limestone. The process releases plumes of toxic smoke, polluting the environment and poisoning workers.