I can't even begin to imagine that our daily tech - iPhone, Google, Tesla, and many more are powered by batteries that come from minerals acquired through children mining in DRC Congo.
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You can choose to throw away all your technology and most of your clothes and disconnect from reality.
Or you can realize the fortunate situation that you’re in, build that awareness into your life to be grateful, and learn to live it in the fullest. Along the way, you can empathize with those who aren’t as lucky and help within your means.
The world you’ve listened to on these podcasts has been around ever since humans existed. You can’t avoid it. Some are lucky, but most are not.
🤦♂️ if you would actually listen to the podcast he discusses small steps that could be taken to improve the lives of people in the Congo (e.g. paying them $10/day instead of $2/day so their children don’t have to work, building clinics to treat people suffering from effects of from the metal toxins).
Nobody has advocated for the complete breakdown/abandonment of big tech, and it isn’t necessary. The mines simply need to be brought up to 21st century standards and processes for excavation. The mining will continue until high energy density batteries can be manufactured without cobalt.
This is the unfortunate reality of global capitalism - pretty much everything we consume is based on the exploitation of people and the environment. Another world is possible, but a lot of y’all are not ready for that conversation
They didn't necessarily frame it that way, you jumped to a conclusion. Imo, they framed it more broadly such that addressing exploitation of people and environment is the crux. That's where treaties, regulations and etc come into play.
Pro
Cobalt is used in lots of things:
"On a global basis, the leading use of cobalt is in rechargeable battery electrodes. Superalloys, which are used to make parts for gas turbine engines, are another major use for cobalt. Cobalt is also used to make airbags in automobiles; catalysts for the petroleum and chemical industries; cemented carbides (also called hardmetals) and diamond tools; corrosion- and wear-resistant alloys; drying agents for paints, varnishes, and inks; dyes and pigments; ground coats for porcelain enamels; high-speed steels; magnetic recording media; magnets; and steel-belted radial tires."
http://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/cobalt-statistics-and-information
Chief
Child labor happens in basically all outsourced manufacturing. We only hear about it when companies get caught. That’s reality. Next you will find out that the American food supply is horribly abusive of animals and think it will stop people from eating meat but news flash: it won’t
Rising Star
The American food chain is also pretty reliant on literal child slavery. Companies like Mars and Nestle got sued over it, brought it to the SCOTUS who accepted their argument that they can’t be sued because they didn’t plan the slavery from within the US
https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2021/06/17/supreme-court-rules-in-favor-of-nestle-in-child-slavery-case.html
Pro
Keep in mind that even "civilized" countries relied on child labor, forms of slave labor, and horrendous working conditions even for paid adult laborers until the last 100- 150 years.
As long as there isn't enough outrage and meaningful action, it will continue.
Yes. I think mainstream media doesn't shed enough light on these issues. Always surprised when I hear people spending days talking about sensational and unhelpful news rather than such news.
Let’s ban fossil fuels so we can all benefit from this ‘clean’ lithium!!
Rising Star
Fossil fuel shills love to being up how bad lithium mining is as if transporting gasoline and oil don’t literally require infrastructure that burns fossil fuels to complete delivery. Or that fossil fuels are extremely harmful to obtain. Or that they are worse while being used.
Yes, lithium has environmental and labor concerns but only complete idiots who deep throat Big Oil’s boot think fossil fuels are in any way better
It’s great that people are waking up to the troubling reality of mining and child labor. I find it interesting that the people concerned about children in Congo mining cobalt only got concerned in the last few years, when they heard it was used in some EVs. Apparently, all the cobalt that is used to refine oil into the gasoline they buy every week got a free pass?
We tried to ban child labor in the US, but it has failed worse than the War on Drugs. The #1 selling video game for children is Minecraft! All our kids love mining and we can’t stop it. (Please note: this post is sarcastic. Please don’t get me banned for trying to put a smile on your face)
Rising Star
*cries in McDonald’s and farm*
Contribute to helping people from there making it out. Be it through online education, contributions to healthcare initiatives etc. That matters way more than sharing videos and knowledge
Enthusiast
Genuine question, as this is obviously a complex issue.
Would these people not actually be worse off if they didn’t have the opportunity to work and obtain a valuable resource that they can sell to companies? How many families would be going hungry if not for this cobalt mine?
The kids should be in school. By keeping kids in work and not in school these countries are preventing their own development.