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Lithium-Ion battery materials Scandal
Lithium-Ion battery materials Scandel
Lithium-ion battery materials Scandal. I have to say that the original article by Amnesty International and Afrewatch made me feel sick to my stomach.
Just as we think that this sort of child abuse has ended, we learn of something else that crops up. in some other remote corner of the world. It was not that long ago that the battery industry learned about the horrific conditions that Chinese battery manufacturers put their staff through.
The poor people in China were making nickel-cadmium batteries without any protection. Red dust contaminated the air, and for years, the workers complained about having bad headaches, sore throats, and vomiting.
The Chinese factory workers were, in fact, dying from above-normal levels of cadmium in their blood. Many did die.
These scandals were just so that we in the western world could buy cheap car batteries. Indeed, I have been guilty of buying battery products directly from China without knowing the suffering of the people making these products. A great piece of information about this is on the following link: http://extras.sltrib.com/china/printstory5.htm
Battery materials Scandal-Lithium-Ion battery materials Scandal
It is common knowledge that the Chinese have been pumping billions of dollars into the African economy to get access to the many different minerals available in Africa. One of the materials that are used to make Lithium-Ion batteries is “cobalt”. The cobalt comes from mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Africa, and a few other places throughout the world.
Much of the cobalt is recovered through nickel mining operations.
This is one of the key elements in the manufacture of the lithium-ion batteries that are now so widely used in the electronics industry and, indeed, for making batteries that are driving the electric car industry forward.
Good day to all of you! -Lithium-Ion battery materials Scandal
I’m hoping all is well with you. Today, we’ll be discussing a subject that can be viewed as having both positive and negative aspects. Indeed, everything revolves around cobalt, which is the most important component of lithium-ion batteries.
These days, batteries are used to power just about everything, from mobile phones to electric vehicles. Is that not brilliant? But wait, there’s more to this glistening metal than meets the eye, particularly when children are employed in the mining industry. Let’s get down to business, shall we?
First things first, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is responsible
for producing the vast majority of the world’s cobalt (DRC). It’s like the wild west of cobalt, because this region is where about 60 percent of the world’s supply is mined. I am aware, and that is a significant portion!
But this is where things start to get sketchy. According to some reports, a significant portion of this mining activity may not be entirely legal.
We’re talking about extremely hazardous working conditions here, with almost no safety gear available.
The saddest part? Work that is done by children.
These young children are forced to work in dangerous conditions in exchange for a few pennies. This doesn’t paint a pretty picture, does it?
Why should people like us, who live all the way over in the UK, even care about this? Now, give that some thought. You are inextricably linked to this problem every time you plug in your phone or drive an electric vehicle because of the choices you make. It’s not like we can just ignore what’s going on, is it?
Let’s get some information out there.-Lithium-Ion battery materials Scandal
The mining of cobalt is not only laborious but also extremely hazardous. All miners, including children, run the risk of developing long-term health issues such as lung diseases. Not to mention the immediate dangers, such as cave-ins and collapses of tunnels. It’s a far cry from the level of health and safety that we’d expect to find in Blighty, that much is for certain.
Did you know that the United Kingdom also has a historical connection to the mining industry?
When I was younger, I worked in the coal mines alongside other children. Wow, isn’t that shocking? But as time went on, we gained insight, and we put an end to it. Perhaps the time has come for the cobalt industry to do as others have done.
So, what exactly is the answer? Simple!
The companies that source cobalt need to improve their performance. People, this conversation is about ethical sourcing. They are obligated to guarantee that their supply chains are spotless from the very beginning to the very end. There is to be no skipping steps.
And what options do you have? Lithium-Ion battery materials Scandal
Consume with awareness and consideration. Look for companies that have made a commitment to ethical business practises. Allow your money to do the talking for you!
Okay, I’ve said what I needed to say, and I really do hope that it made you think. When you next plug in your phone, give some thought to where the cobalt that it contains originally came from. Let’s put a stop to mining practises that aren’t ethical, shall we?
The part about all this that shocked me was that the cobalt rocks are dug out by children as young as seven years old.
The children carry bags of small rocks,
together with adult workers, down narrow man-made tunnels. Their working conditions are similar to those of the coal mines here in the UK, that were mined by children in Victorian times, over two hundred years ago.
Similar to China, Lithium-Ion battery materials Scandal
many of the mining workers have been killed in mining accidents, while mining for cobalt. This is due to extreme working conditions. so that once again we in the west can have cheaper batteries, this time, Lithium-Ion.
I would strongly advise anyone in the battery industry, to read this report from Amnesty International. I would also like to thank LinkedIn contributor Angel Kirchev for bringing this to our attention.
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https://www.mineralseducationcoalition.org/minerals/cobalt
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