Around Australia new mining operations are being established and old sites, shuttered decades ago, are being brought back to life. These miners aren’t digging for coal or gold, they’re hunting for other lucrative commodities – known as critical minerals. If you own a mobile phone, if you power your home with renewable energy or drive an electric vehicle, then these minerals are already playing a key part in your life. And they will play a vital role in all our futures. But there is a hidden cost?