(RepublicanDaily.org) – Green tech has recently become a hot topic, as President Joe Biden and other leaders have increasingly pushed solutions like electric vehicles to keep emissions low. However, these innovations are not without problems. One of these issues was recently highlighted on an episode of the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast.
Writer Siddharth Kara went on the podcast to discuss, among other things, the issues around the use of cobalt in batteries for things like electric vehicles and smartphones. He highlighted that cobalt, a vital component of these batteries, comes from mines, and the practices cobalt miners use in places like the Democratic Republic of Congo are extremely exploitative.
Kara claimed every single cobalt mine in the country relies on child labor and slaves for production — and conditions are deplorable, at best. Children and adults often work long hours for the equivalent of about $1 per day.
Kara also says people are largely unaware of this due to corporate marketing claims, despite the fact that Congolese cobalt is so commonly used in lithium-ion batteries used in today’s technology.
Despite these known issues, Joe Biden recently entered a Memorandum of Understanding with the Democratic Republic of Congo to use its mined minerals to produce batteries for electric vehicles.
Do you agree with what Siddharth Kara had to say on the topic of renewable technology? How do you think policymakers and green businesses could alter their approach to promote environmental goals in a way that doesn’t exploit children?
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