Analysis published by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC), an international corporate watchdog, revealed that 87% of the 23 largest companies mining cobalt, copper, lithium, manganese, nickel and zinc – the six minerals essential to the renewable energy industry – have faced allegations of abuse including land rights infringements, corruption, violence or death over the past 10 years.
This is so depressing.
Tesla, which makes about half the lithium-ion batteries made in the world, has purchased a company with technology that eliminates cobalt from their batteries. I've heard that cobalt mostly comes from the Congo where workers are abused. I believe that Tesla is changing their battery manufacturing lines, because the Maxwell process makes better, less-expensive batteries.
Most of us are helping create climate change by driving cars that burn gas. We may want an EV, but cannot afford one. We and renewable energy companies are trapped, and do the best we can under the circumstances.
This is just another example of news being skewed to fit an agenda.
Guess what?
literally all of those minerals have uses outside of renewable energy. Being as renewable energy is still a developing sector, I think it's safe to say that these abuses pre-date the current status quo.
It's still a horrible shame that this occurs anywhere or anytime in human history, and time, money, and energy is no doubt wasted on resolving these issues, but we can't wait until better policy is introduced and enforced before we keep developing low-carbon infrastructure.
The term ‘manganese’ is racist and I disapprove.
@altschmerz It’s like pronouncing ‘aluminium’ as ‘aluminum’. It’s wrong and only they can use that word.
Of course I could be mistaken but the abuse issue seems linked to the mining industry rather than being a renewable energy question.
I imagine that progressive minded people would like to see progressive policies in supporting industries. But we still have to deal with our selfish capitalist society.