Cobalt Red | Litsy

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives | Siddharth Kara

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Safe to say I won't be buying a new device with a rechargeable battery for the foreseeable future, because THERE IS NO ETHICAL SOURCE FOR COBALT. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? That of course, is the least that I can do as an individual. As the author outlines, some of the biggest things that need to happen are actions by companies, the mining companies and the companies upstream that use the cobalt in their products, as well as the Congolese government, all assuming that the value of human life comes before profit motive. 3mo

Robotswithpersonality 3/? I hesitate to call this a disheartening read because I'm a lot more angry than depressed. Kara has done an excellent job of detailing the many forms of abuse and corruption that keep the poorest in the Congo unable to find better options than mining for cobalt by manual labour in hazardous conditions with no safety provisions available (which is what artisanal mining means in these circumstances), 3mo

Robotswithpersonality 4/? and simultaneously ensures that they do not share in the massive profits such a product yields in the global economy. Slavery conditions, assaults, illnesses, maimings and deaths would be bad enough, but there's also a detrimental environmental component as there always seems to be with mining. 3mo

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Robotswithpersonality 5/? I appreciate how often the author acknowledged his data gathering was hampered (unable to name sources for fear of putting lives at risk, unable to access mines or procure statistics because the companies would not permit it); it makes the point put forward in the epilogue that finding a way to safely hear directly from artisanal miners all the more critical, all the more powerful. 3mo

Robotswithpersonality 6/? The historical parallels Kara puts forward, of the history of human rights abuses and political manipulation for profit since the dawn of colonization in the Congo emphasizes the stark contrast between what we want to believe about a modern Western society with its tech gadgets and the complete lack of progress, the enduring injustices that are shoring up that system.
Please read this book. 3mo

Robotswithpersonality 77 ⚠️SA, child labour, child trafficking, misogyny, racism, forced labour and debt bondage resulting in slavery conditions, child death, child prostitution, major injuries 3mo

BookmarkTavern I‘ve had this on my TBR for a while. I need to bump it up the list. 3mo

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Robotswithpersonality

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives | Siddharth Kara

Hope.

6 likes

Robotswithpersonality

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives | Siddharth Kara

Own voices.

4 likes

Robotswithpersonality

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives | Siddharth Kara

Pessimistic nuance, everyone's a bad actor, to varying degrees. 😑

4 likes

Robotswithpersonality

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives | Siddharth Kara

Riiiight, it's the NGOs who are lying to profit, not the mining companies. You ASS.🤬

5 likes

Robotswithpersonality

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives | Siddharth Kara

Well there had to be a word for that, considering human history...☹️
“Kleptocrat: a ruler who uses political power to steal his or her country's resources.
Kleptocracy: also referred to as thievocracy, is a government whose corrupt leaders use political power to expropriate the wealth of the people and land they govern“

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Robotswithpersonality

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives | Siddharth Kara

WOW.

6 likes

Robotswithpersonality

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives | Siddharth Kara

Why is everything shitty? Because those who could change it are making too much money off the status quo.

6 likes

Robotswithpersonality

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives | Siddharth Kara

Of course it gets worse. 🤦🏼‍♂️

6 likes

Robotswithpersonality

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives | Siddharth Kara

Step 1: Acknowledge the problem

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Robotswithpersonality

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives | Siddharth Kara

Well now my blood's boiling for two reasons:
1) Exploitations of workers
2) Purposeful obfuscation through the corruption of language. Artisans and artisanal products should not have to be tied to this travesty. 😡
I've heard of pink washing and green washing, to sell products by making them seem more LGBTQ, enviro friendly respectively, is there a term for making the product seem more wholesome, fair-trade-y?

Singout Hmmm. This makes me think of my trip to the Philippines in 2008, when I met with communities who were outraged at the manner in which global corporations had swept in with the government‘s support and taken over the previously “artisanal” mining, which provided the workers with some independence, as well as completely devastating the land and water. (edited) 3mo

Robotswithpersonality @Singout Sucks to hear there was a situation where the meaning of artisanal actually applied before it was corporatized 3mo

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Hooked_on_books

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives | Siddharth Kara

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This is a deeply sobering book about the conditions of cobalt miners in DRC. And we are all contributing to this human rights nightmare by having devices and vehicles with rechargeable batteries, of which cobalt is a vital component. I hope more and more visibility is brought to this issue so that enough pressure can be brought to create change. Thank you for putting this on my radar, @Soubhiville .

Soubhiville Sobering is exactly the right word. I wish every rechargeable battery bought came with a summary of this book, I don‘t think most people know about this issue. 6mo

41 likes2 stack adds1 comment

Soubhiville

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives | Siddharth Kara

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I had heard that electric cars might be worse for the world than gas, and the batteries are the problem, but didn‘t know why. One huge reason is that they require cobalt- all rechargeable batteries do. Cobalt comes from the Congo, where people of all ages (yes, children too) work in the worst conditions you can imagine, risking their lives, for on average a dollar a day. And they have no choice, it‘s the only work available.

Makes me think ⬇️

Soubhiville Makes me think twice about upgrading any rechargeable device. The book is very fact heavy in places, but there are a lot of interviews with workers and middlemen. Not an easy read, both for density and for the devastation. It‘s an emotional gut punch. Not recommended unless you can handle that- the situation is bleak and there‘s no sign it will get better. 10mo

Soubhiville @Hooked_on_books I learned so much, things I had no idea about. Although I‘m emotionally drained by reading it, I‘m glad I‘m educated now. After my review do you still want to read it? If so I‘ll send it back to you 🙂. 10mo

AmyG We slowly destroy our earth. 😢 10mo

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Ruthiella Not that it will happen, but mass transit would be an excellent solution. I lived over a decade in various cities where I didn‘t have nor did I need a car. 10mo

Hooked_on_books That‘s so nice, but no need—I have access to the audio. I‘m sure I‘ll give it a try, but I have an electric car, so I‘ll have to shore myself up before I start listening. On the other side of the coin is the devastation wreaked by fossil fuels and the reality that they will run out and then what? I really don‘t think there are any good answers anymore. Someone gets hurt no matter what, sadly. 10mo

dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 10mo

TheBookHippie @Ruthiella right?! Trains. I love them. 10mo

Ruthiella @TheBookHippie It‘s a reading commuter paradise! 😃 10mo

TheBookHippie @Ruthiella I loathe driving. 10mo

Gissy Wow! Does the author gives suggestions recommendations of what to do? Alternatives? How to stop this? So devastated 😔 10mo

Soubhiville @Gissy his only suggestions were about regulating the mining so that it could be done more safely and to pay the Congolese people fairly so that they don‘t need the children to work to help support families- because they literally will starve without having their children work as well. It‘s the saddest situation and working conditions I have ever heard of. 10mo

Soubhiville @Hooked_on_books @Gissy @TheBookHippie @Ruthiella @AmyG sadly it isn‘t only electric cars- it‘s every rechargeable thing we have. Smartphones, tablets, laptops, even things like electric toothbrushes. Unfortunately Amy I think you nailed it- we care too much about all our conveniences, and all of them are bad for the environment, which impacts those in poverty all over the world. 10mo

Soubhiville @Ruthie @TheBookHippie I have always wished to live in a place where I didn‘t need a car. I don‘t like driving either. Unfortunately it hasn‘t worked out yet. 10mo

TheBookHippie @Soubhiville me either currently. 10mo

Soubhiville @TheAromaofBooks this was this month‘s #bookspin for me. 10mo

batsy @Ruthiella That would absolutely be the solution that seems further away for most cities because of lack of political will (those coffers have to be filled 💰💰💰) 10mo

batsy Great review. I've added it to my list and I expect it to be infuriating and harrowing. 10mo

TheAromaofBooks Great review!! 10mo

MemoirsForMe Oh my! Really makes me stop and think about all my rechargeables alone 😬 10mo

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Soubhiville

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives | Siddharth Kara

I‘m excited about these #Bookspin and #Doublespin draws this month! Thanks as always @TheAromaofBooks for hosting my favorite monthly challenge. 🙂

Bookzombie Since you are the host of a monthly challenge that made me chuckle. 🙂 I love both of your challenges. 11mo

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Enjoy!!! 11mo

Soubhiville @Bookzombie I always do Bookspin, and sometimes I skip the #AuthorAMonth. Sshhhh! 🤫😂 11mo

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Soubhiville

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives | Siddharth Kara

I got your package today @Hooked_on_books 😁📚 Thank you! I can‘t wait to try the jam 😋, you know I love mango. I think all the books sound great, including the Annie Ernaux, who I have never read before but I think I‘ll enjoy. I‘ve seen rave reviews for her.

I actually almost picked the tagged book up on my last visit to the Austin Library but decided I didn‘t have time for it at the moment, Kismet!

I really love the card as well 🌺🤍.

Soubhiville Today is day 4 in my new home and I‘m working on unpacking. I‘m adapting. 🙂 Thank you again my friend. I‘ll write back soon 12mo

tpixie @Soubhiville Great book haul! Good luck 🍀 making your new house a home!! Are you still in Texas? 12mo

squirrelbrain What a lovely gift package! I really enjoyed How To Build a Boat, and I‘m listening to Happiness Falls right now. Hope you‘re doing OK. 😘 (edited) 12mo

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Soubhiville @tpixie no I‘ve moved back to NC. 🙂 12mo

Soubhiville @squirrelbrain thank you. Good days and harder days, it‘s a curve. But now that all the hard bits are done I expect it‘ll get easier. 🤍 12mo

tpixie @Soubhiville 🩵🩵🩵 12mo

Hooked_on_books Hooray! I‘m glad it arrived safe (I was a little worried about the jam) and a day earlier than expected! I hope opening things up brought a little bright spot to your day—that‘s what your gifts do for me. Enjoy the books! 📚 12mo

Soubhiville @Hooked_on_books it did, I did a little dance when I saw it in the mailbox 🕺 12mo

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Hestapleton

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives | Siddharth Kara

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Anyone who owns anything with a rechargeable battery should read this book. I am gutted. It's taken me three months to read this and I've cried almost every time I've picked it up. Major TWs for almost every horrible thing that can happen to child. And those things happened so that we could have smart phones.

Soubhiville Sounds like an important book. Stacked. 1y

TheAromaofBooks With the increase of battery usage in everything from smart phones, laptops, tablets, and electric cars, this is a topic that has been on my mind. I don't know how to personally, much less as a society, disentangle myself from using items that use these materials that are obtained at such a horrific cost. Did the author have any suggestions for lifestyle changes or companies that are doing things differently? 1y

Hestapleton @TheAromaofBooks unfortunately there's not much we CAN do besides encourage companies to trace their Cobalt back to the miners. A lot of companies claim to use ethically mined Cobalt, but the author shows how if you trace the chain to the source, that's almost never the case. There is lying and corruption at every level, and the Congo has been brutalized for its natural resources from the beginning. It's a tough history. 1y

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Ruthiella Publicly traded companies in the US must trace back through the entire supply chain, not just for cobalt, but other conflict minerals in accordance with Section 1502 of the Wall Street Consumer Reform and Protection Act. Private companies in the electronics industry typically follow suit. The EU has similar regulations against using conflict minerals. I‘m not saying this solves the problem, but measures are at least being taken. (edited) 1y

SamAnne I‘ve had this stacked since it was published but haven‘t gotten to it yet. Something I‘ve been thinking about. I know my IPad has limited life left and I will read this before I make the purchase of a new one. I do love reading books on it. (edited) 1y

TheAromaofBooks Such a complicated situation. Thank you for sharing your review!! 1y

Hestapleton @Ruthiella just because they must doesn't mean they aren't or that they aren't being lied to, which is what the author lays out. Even with these regulations in place, Cobalt is still being mined unethically and here's how that can still happen. 1y

49 likes1 stack add7 comments

Evita

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives | Siddharth Kara

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Everyone needs to read this book!

3 likes

LibraryCin

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives | Siddharth Kara

so-so

This was interesting and so very sad. I didn‘t rate it higher, though, as I did lose interest occasionally. That might have been due to other things on my mind, I‘m not sure.

8 likes

Floresj

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives | Siddharth Kara

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This book depicts the “artisanal miner”, how the cobalt that gives our phones and EVs the ability to hold a charge well is mined in the Congo. The living conditions, the physical act of mining, the miners- men, women and children‘s lives and injuries, environmental impact, supply chain, and science behind why this type of cobalt is so precious is described.Definitely backing more regulation, but cynical it would make a dent in a massive problem.

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LibraryCin

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives | Siddharth Kara

so-so

This was interesting and so very sad. I didn‘t rate it higher, though, as I did lose interest occasionally. That might have been due to other things on my mind, I‘m not sure.

12 likes

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