The Dark Cost of Electric Cars
Hey hey!! This month I dove into the gruesome cobalt supply chain that fuels electric cars and most modern batteries. It’s the longest video I’ve ever made, but I felt like I had so much more to say. If you have the time definitely check out Siddharth Kara’s book, Cobalt Red, on the subject (linked below). It was instrumental during my research process for understanding exactly what’s happening on the ground in the cobalt mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Hope you find the video illuminating.
Three Quotes:
“Southern Congo sits atop an estimated 3.4 million metric tons of cobalt, almost half the world’s known supply. In recent decades, hundreds of thousands of Congolese have moved to the formerly remote area. Kolwezi now has more than half a million residents.”
— The New Yorker
“We work in our graves”
— Unnamed Cobalt Miner via Cobalt Red
“I can tell you there's no such thing based on what I've seen there's no such thing as clean cobalt. The cobalt that is mined in the Congo is tainted by an array of hazardous and abusive conditions, from child labor to forced labor to environmental destruction to public health catastrophes. It's an absolute horror show”
— Siddharth Kara via Breakthrough News
Three Links:
Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives (Siddharth Kara)
How Clean Energy Is Increasing Worker Exploitation in DRC (Vice News)
The Dark Side of Congo’s Cobalt Rush (The New Yorker)
Hope you have a wonderful weekend,
Charlie