1y ago

US’s Electric Vehicle Boom Is Deepening the Suffering in the Congo

truthout.org

Black transit activists in the U.S. are calling attention to the plunder of the Congo for cobalt mining.

Archived version: https://archive.ph/12OmU

Environment @beehaw.org

Five @slrpnk.net

1y ago

US’s Electric Vehicle Boom Is Deepening the Suffering in the Congo

truthout.org /articles/uss-electrical-vehicle-boom-is-deepening-the-suffering-in-the-congo/

9 comments

There is already an industry shift away from Congolese cobalt.
A lot of EV batteries in the US are cobalt-free.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/17/samsung-panasonic-and-tesla-embracing-cobalt-free-batteries-.html
Other companies are sourcing cobalt from Morocco or domestic mines instead, or sourcing it from recycled batteries.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/cobalt-mining-congo-batteries-electric-vehicles
Newer EVs are using cobalt-free LFP batteries and energy storage is shifting to sodium ion.
I think it's absolutely right to put the spotlight on the terrible conditions for miners in the Congo. What I find very strange though, is that in all those years where cobalt was mainly used as a catalyst for refining gasoline, absolutely nobody gave a single shit about any of this.
- Or the fact that evidence shows the global petroleum industry contributes to 20% of all early human deaths planet-wide.
  https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/c-change/news/fossil-fuel-air-pollution-responsible-for-1-in-5-deaths-worldwide/
  But it's so convenient that oil industry dick riders can complain about batteries.
Doesn't the US mine a lot of its own cobalt. If this is being caused by a boom in demand its probably from Chinese electric vehicle demand.
- They actually don't. They closed their only mine in 2023. China and Congo are the world suppliers. And their trade war with China leaves Congo the only supplier for them.
  
  Oh my bad. I was completely wrong about America producing cobalt locally. It does seem they import most from Africa.
  I did get figures that support my statement that most of the demand is driven by China. I checked through 2021, 2022 and 2023 and China is a large majority of the demand and demand increase. America makes up less than 10% of global ev sales and their demand is not "booming" when compared with the Chinese ev demand increases.
  Here's a paragraph that outlines what I'm saying. Ev now accounts for almost half of all cobalt demand and is increasing year on year.
  the passenger segment accounted for 87% of EV demand in 2023 and is the largest demand driver over the forecast period. Global passenger EV sales rose to 13.8 million units in 2023, up 33% y/y – a fall from 58% y/y growth in 2022. Of this, China (7.9 million), EU (3.5 million) and the US (1.4 million) accounted for 93% of sales. - cobalt institute market report 2023.
  
  China isn't that big for domestic cobalt extraction, it's Chinese companies working in other countries. The biggest reserves are in Congo-Kinshasa and Australia, but Australia doesn't extract much
I love that Lemmy is filled with articles about how the US adoption of EV isn't fast enough and we need to adopt EVs faster like China has.
Two articles later its the US EV market that is driving the suffering of cobalt miners in the DRC and it's the US's problem to fix.
- Yes but have you considered that US Bad?
  Seriously, that's all it is.

9 comments