So, we’re replacing strip mining for coal and spills here and there with fossil fuels for this?
Cobalt is the new blood diamond.
It’s highly valuable and dangerous to extract. The Democratic Republic of Congo is responsible for about 70% of the world’s supply of Cobalt.
As the world transitions to renewable energies to fight climate change, the demand — and the price — for cobalt, a crucial ingredient used to make lithium batteries, has skyrocketed.
But even as the cost increases, the working conditions of the people mining it can be brutal, and the pay is almost nothing — The Guardian found in an investigation that workers were getting paid about 35 cents an hour.
Here’s the reality of where cobalt comes from and how it is mined.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, deep craters are dug into the earth to mine cobalt, a natural resource required to make lithium batteries.
In all fairness, cobalt is used in many other types of products, like batteries for smarphones, tablets, computers, and more, along with wear-resistant and high-strength alloys, such as for airplanes, plus in glass, ceramics, inks, paints and varnishes to give it that blue color
The demand for cobalt keeps growing, as does its price. In mid 2020, it was worth $29,000 per metric ton. By March 2022, it was up to $82,000 per ton. Experts agree the demand is only going to increase.
And that demand is skyrocketing, due to demand for EVs and other green projects, mostly along the lines of power storage. It has been called “critical” for the green energy transition. What does it look like?
There are a lot more photos of this (and I know I’ve done at least one post on this) at the article
Now, as much of the world attempts to fight climate change by transitioning to renewable energy, the demand for cobalt has never been higher.
Although the intention is good, it comes at a cost for those living in the DRC.
What’s that saying about good intentions?
