Boom, Bust, Boom: A Story about Copper, the Metal That Runs the World

ASWEEPINGACCOUNTOFCIVILIZATION'SCOMPLETEDEPENDENCEONCOPPERANDWHATITMEANSFORPEOPLE,NATURE,ANDOURGLOBALECONOMYCOPPERisamiraculousandcontradictorymetal,essentialtonearlyeveryhumanenterprise.Formostofrecordedhistory,thisremarkablypliableandsturdysubstancehasproveninvaluable:notonlydidtheancientRomansbuildtheirempireonminingcopperbutChristopherColumbusprotectedhisshipsfromrotbyliningtheirhullswithit.Today,themetalcanbefoundineveryhouse,car,airplane,cellphone,computer,andhomeappliancetheworldover,includinginallthenew,socalledgreentechnologies.Yetthehistoryofcopperextractionandourpresentrelationshipwiththemetalarefraughtwithprofounddifficulties.CopperminingcausesirrevocabledamagetotheEarth,releasingarsenic,cyanide,sulfuricacid,andotherdeadlypollutantsintotheairandwater.Andtheminesthemselveshavesignificanteffectsontheeconomiesandwellbeingofthecommunitieswheretheyarelocated.With"RedSummer"and"FoolsRushIn,"BillCarterhasearnedareputationasanonthegroundjournalistadeptatconnectingthelocalelementsofastorytoitslargestconsequences.Carterdoesthisagainandbrilliantlyin"Boom,Bust,Boom,"exploringinanentertainingandfactrichnarrativetheveryhumandimensionofcopperextractionandthecolossalimplicationstheindustryhasforeveryoneofus.StartinginhisownbackyardintheoldminingtownofBisbee,ArizonawherehediscoversthatthedirtinhisgardencontainsdoubletheacceptablelevelofarsenicBillCarterfollowsthestoryofcoppertothecontroversialGrasbergcoppermineinIndonesia;tothe"ring"attheLondonMetalExchange,whereaselectgroupoftradersbuyandsellenormousamountsofthemetal;andtoanAlaskansalmonrunthreatenedbymining."Boom,Bust,Boom"isahighlyreadableaccountpartsocialhistory,partminingtownexploration,andpartenvironmentalinvestigation.Pagebypage,Carterblendsthepersonalandtheinternationalinanarrativethathelpsusunderstandtheparadoxicalrelationshipwehavewithasubstancewhosenecessitytocivilizationcoststheenvironmentandthepeoplewhomineitdearly.Theresultisaworkoffirstratejournalismthatfascinatesoneverylevel.