DiscoverThe Atlas Obscura PodcastSpruce Pine, Global Chokepoints, and the Future of Manufacturing
Spruce Pine, Global Chokepoints, and the Future of Manufacturing

Spruce Pine, Global Chokepoints, and the Future of Manufacturing

Update: 2024-10-09
Share

Description

The small mountain town of Spruce Pine provides nearly all of the ultra-pure quartz used to make the world’s semiconductors. When Hurricane Helene nearly wiped out the mines, it provided a stark wake-up call. Journalist Ed Conway joins Dylan to discuss what we can learn from this near-miss. 

Check out more of Ed Conway’s reporting and subscribe to his Substack here. To support disaster relief efforts in North Carolina, you can donate to vetted organizations here or here.

Comments 
00:00
00:00
x

0.5x

0.8x

1.0x

1.25x

1.5x

2.0x

3.0x

Sleep Timer

Off

End of Episode

5 Minutes

10 Minutes

15 Minutes

30 Minutes

45 Minutes

60 Minutes

120 Minutes

Spruce Pine, Global Chokepoints, and the Future of Manufacturing

Spruce Pine, Global Chokepoints, and the Future of Manufacturing

Stitcher Studios & Atlas Obscura