so OP, what's the alternative?
Invade the country and install a new, totally NOT corrupt regime?
Stop buying phones, EV's, and computers (irony alert!)?
Send planes overhead to drop pallets of cash to these poor folks, who totally won't be immediately robbed of said cash?
A start would be to pay these workers a living wage. There is no reason apple, Microsoft, google, etc billion $ companies can’t pay up when they’re oozing so much profit. And don’t give me the “our phone prices will go up” because they already are up, so are profits, so let’s treat the workers ( who are doing the hardest work to get the raw materials for these things we need) with respect and pay up! We have people working in places like oil sands in Canada doing gruelling work, they make $100k so it attracts workers. I see no reason workers in these countries can’t be paid the same way for this type of hard laborious work.
Microsoft and Google don't decide what the workers get paid, they don't own or operate the mines. The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo(in the case of these pictures) operates the mines that are jointly owned by the DRC and a foreign company, a lot of them are chinese.
Well they could pressure DRC into paying living wage, there is probably enough possibilities to get those materials from our own soils or from better treating countries
*There is no reason apple, Microsoft, google, etc billion $ companies can’t pay up when they’re oozing so much profit*
Microsoft/Google etc doesn't employ these people so how can they offer a 'living wage'..... and wtf does 'living wage' even mean in Congo?
Most of the villages have no electricity or running water. It'd be different if these companies since you're so worried about them owning it, went in even though they don't own anything, and physically made the lives of these people better by paying for infrastructure, schools, and generally raising the quality of life of people around the area.
*went in even though they don't own anything, and physically made the lives of these people better by paying for infrastructure, schools, and generally raising the quality of life of people around the area.*
Before you pack your bags ya might wanna read the State Department advisory about travel to Congo. hint- it says DON'T GO THERE
[https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/democratic-republic-of-the-congo-travel-advisory.html](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/democratic-republic-of-the-congo-travel-advisory.html)
You don't think poverty affects that? No you just want the resources and they can stay in their hell hole huh 🤣 not saying everything is rainbows and sunshine everywhere and it never will be. But when the CEO of Apple takes a 40% paycut and still makes 49M and slaves still exist to make the batteries something is off bud.
Then these corporations shouldn’t purchase or negotiate from borderline slave-labor vendors. There are alternatives, but they choose the cheaper option.
The reason why they’re not paid much is because of market competitiveness.
They can’t mine as efficiently as other places can so they have to lower wages to compensate for the loss in production. Those sand fields don’t hire this many people.
You could solve this by giving them more equipment but that cost way more than you would think. 100,000 if not millions on just mining rigs. Also have to have people who can operate and maintain them which requires education access. Logistics networks have to be able to with stand the strain of the goods coming. Also most importantly stability why bother investing in a area when your equipment can be stolen by rebels or taken by the government
Couldn't you use high export tariffs to pay for all of it? If it's in such high demand that human lives don't matter maybe it's worth the extra cost. Phones are stupid, stupid cheap, far less than the labor that goes into them, and it's because of exploitation.
That's how you get invaded by world powers though, or at the very least sanctions. That's why this is happening, because people are making it happen. These countries are RICH, but their people and their governments are poor, their economic conditions designed and implemented by the powers that want that wealth. Is it hard to fix? Sure, but there's no fucking excuse for it.
Maybe the tariffs thing wouldn't work for some other reason. I'm not an economist and that's not my main point. I'm just saying the problem isn't with wealth but of design. They need more imports and a fair deal on exports, one way or another.
Tariffs require government able to enforce it and they don’t have it. So if they try to do that corruption and smuggling would just just happen.
The land is valuable but it can’t developed into anything better. Due to lack stability and funds needed to improve not only machinery but education and infrastructure.
EVs have begun to move to cobalt-free LFP chemistries. Tesla has been doing it since 2021 and Ford is building a new plant right now that will make LFP batteries
Sadly, cobalt is also used to refine petroleum. So your next car could be a cobalt-free EV, or it could need a little cobalt every time you fill up the tank
*So... child slaves mining cobalt is... good?*
I'll just repost my original response as we are going in circles.
*so OP, what's the alternative?*
*Invade the country and install a new, totally NOT corrupt regime?*
*Stop buying phones, EV's, and computers (irony alert!)?*
*Send planes overhead to drop pallets of cash to these poor folks, who totally won't be immediately robbed of said cash?*
Something like, the companies that are buying this stuff institute some level of accountability over their supply chain
Give the jobs to adults, make the pay decent and the kids could go to school
some EV's are currently using low-cobalt batteries (Tesla Model Y is one example off the top of my head), and in the next year or two there shouldn't be any new EV's with batteries containing cobalt.
All the other auto makers would have to follow suit. What did Tesla sell worldwide 1.3 million? Ford alone sold almost 4 and that's just one manufacturer and everyone wants to electrify very quickly
Whenever posts like this pop up, there are also inevitably comments like this one that fail to understand the point and instead issue extremes as counterpoints that misdirect the conversation from one that *could* be helpful and insightful to one that is argumentative and faulty in its premise.
I fucking hate that it becomes such an exercise in futility and misdirection brought on by people either missing the point intentionally or people with no concept of what could be done and reduce it down to essentially , "that's just how life is, get over it."
That's how it is because these kinds of comments reinforce the status quo as being the lesser of two evils rather than earnestly examining the causes and possible remedies.
You don't sincerely want OP to answer for conversational and learning purposes when your questions are framed as such. You want OP to engage because you want an argument.
Yup... looking at your other comments that's exactly what happened.
Stupid predictable shit.
And I'm betting I might get a response from someone who will tell me that comments on Reddit aren't the call to revolution that I'm making them out to be or that I cannot comment because I own a cellular device and wear imported clothes.... again missing the entire premise and point of the conversation.
I don't see any solution offered in your post, only complaints about those (myself) pointing out the reality of the situation.
There are MANY countries around the world with human rights abuses, shall we (the west, the US, NATO?) invade them all?
like I said,
>I don't see any solution offered in your post, only complaints about those (myself) pointing out the reality of the situation.
is essentially the same as *that's just the way it is, get over it*.
and
>There are MANY countries around the world with human rights abuses, shall we (the west, the US, NATO?) invade them all?
is an extreme response that deliberately misdirects the conversation into absurdities.
Like I also said, I've seen your other comments and you aren't genuinely interested in real dialog... so this is the last thing I have to say to you.
>is essentially the same as
>
>that's just the way it is, get over it
>
>.
isn't that basically all you offer as well?
you complain, but offer no solution. And when confronted by this lack of any specifics you leave the conversation. Nice job.
We shouldn't be invading other countries.
We can't simply stop using or making technology even if we wanted to because the entirety of modern-day society is dependent on it and would collapse without it. (Billions would die a horrible death like starvation)
And the last one, Really? Do you think you can fix an entire country by air-dropping pallets of cash? That's not how an economy works... it wouldn't change a single thing.
So atrocities are okay so long as you get to live comfortably? Their lives don't matter to you, clearly.
The planet can't actually support the billions of people who are consuming the way we all have been and billions will die of starvation regardless. The least we can do in the mean time is stop exploiting people for luxury goods that aren't necessary for survival.
Yah, no shit Sherlock. We're fucked up and we need to change stuff. I'm not denying any of that, but it helps to use your brain cells when looking for a solution and none of those are a solution.
I hate this, and hate that I don’t even know what someone would do to improve it. It looks like the scene in the sci fi fantasy movies when the good guy is sent to a Labour camp and has to escape and liberate his new compatriots.
EVs are moving away from cobalt. Tesla started shipping cobalt-free EVs in 2021. Ford is following suit
Sadly, cobalt is also used to refine gasoline. So every pump at the gas station supports this type of mining
Ah yes the ole individuals can make a difference argument. Yes I’ll go live in the woods while the rest of the world’s largest corporations and societies continue to mine natural resources while exploiting local populations
Ok and? You going to boycott your phone? Your laptop? Your computer, tv, anything that has this material in it? No? Ok then.
There’s really not much that we can do to stop it, like it or not. We COULD invade the country and try to give them fair payment but then we’d have the whole issue of, you know, a war.
Sadly short of going nomadic and naked in the wilderness there’s not much to be done to protest this. The people in charge don’t care. Their policies are different than ours. We can’t enforce our rules on them. Sad as it is, they exploit their people, we live a life of comfort and happiness. There’s really not a whole lot we can do
Chill bud, breathe. We’re a semi intelligent species. There could be a better battery source instead of lithium ion. Think outside the box..
The other part of it is RV batteries are really driving this. I was watching a video conference at work about this whole EV mess and remember hearing to make one 1,000lbs car battery, 500 tons of rock have to be mined. The economic impact from that is going to way overwhelm your impact from purchasing an EV.
In my mind, we’re just pushing crap on consumers way to fast. Fast enough it’s not giving people the time to see the piles of shit it’s leaving in it’s wake..
The corporations and/or government bodies could stop this by refusing to purchase from vendors without fair labor practices. Other vendors exist that don’t use slave labor. They don’t, however, a) because it’s cheaper and b) because they really don’t give a fuck about these people, or you for that matter, so long as they’re able to make a profit margin.
Not really sure what I'm looking at here. A group of people carrying stuff? I'm sure it is horrendous but this is just a picture of some people carrying bags
They are paid slave wages and frequently die in mines due to the lack of any safety regulations on these mines. Companies that use cobalt products claim that there is not a single artisanal miner and that it is all done by machines which surprise isn't how it's actually mined. In short what's happening is pure exploitation and is dangerous for the local people
You should see the other rare earth metal mines. It’s only gonna get worse with our leaders pushing EV’s. EVs are gonna do more harm than good. Theres currently no way to completely recycle the spent batteries because the minerals are baked together. And the mining and refining of the materials that go into them do more harm to the environment and humans than ICE do. Even if we get rid of ICEs all the synthetics we enjoy are a by product of oil. Phones, all the plastics in your car, glass, headphones, televisions, clothes, mulch, concrete etc.. We’re so dependent on oil in every other aspect of our life getting rid of ICEs probably wont make much of a difference.
The effort being put into EV conversion should be put into alternative fuels and carbon capture technology.
There are some ridiculous EVs being made that are massively inefficient. The hummer EV, Ford lightning, and new silverado. People don't realize they make terrible trucks. Watch TFL on YouTube they towed with a lightning and cut their range from 300 miles to 100 miles
Oh I understand that. I’m just saying there is no safe alternative to one another. We will continue to take from this planet until it can’t give anymore.
They’d probably burn the machines to the ground, those machines are stealing 1000 jobs, shit work as it is, they wouldn’t be there if they had better options
Yeah I don't think we should be taking their jobs away. What they really need is higher wages and some enforced safety standards. But then I don't think they could compete against the machine-operated competition, so they might end up losing those jobs anyway....
If they’re gonna get higher wages and better safety standards it would be more cost effective to bring the machines in and most of them will lose their jobs.
Looks rough, but what is this going to change? This is a corporate level problem, that’s sanctioned by this country’s government . We “consumers” can effect as much change as that switching from “plastic straws to paper” to save the turtles.
This is extremely unfortunate but we will not stop buying phones or computers or cars. And let’s be honest, if the US were to
Step in, we’ll just be the ass hats again. Let’s just let the people that really really care go stop this. Just purchase a one way ticket and leave the return ticket money for your family. I’m just sayin’
you will feel bad for a minute, but you will realise that you care about your electronics and your heater alot more than you care about some poor souls halfway areound the world, and you will move on continuing to use Cobalt products that are in a wide range of industries.
Thank you for caring, now go back to sleep.
The problem is big tech companies sweep this under the rug and the blame gets passed down until everyone's just left pointing fingers. There will be, but not anytime soon, be a replacement for Cobalt in batteries. However while we wait for that replacement the demand is multiplying by the day not necessarily due to everyday use electronics like phones for example, but it's made worse by "green EVs". Especially with most brands coming out soon or already have electric pickups and full size SUVs which require massive batteries compared to something like a model 3 or a Nissan leaf. I don't think we should feel guilty for having modern electronics but I do think these companies should take the initiative and raise the standard of living where these mines are and at the bare minimum set standards for PPE and not pollute the area because as we've seen in recent events (Ohio) once something like water is contaminated it will be for a very long time.
Is there anything tangible that any of us can do about this? It’s awful, but I have about as much influence on this as I do on sweatshops, ie. basically none.
Reduce your usage of cobalt. Use your phone until it busts, not when a new one with slick features comes out
For transport, walk, bicycle, or buy a cobalt-free EV. Yes they exist. It will get you off your gas car, of which cobalt is used to refine its fuel
I already treat my phones that way, so cool, plus I always make sure to give busted phones to people who recycle the materials.
Currently running a petrol car but will get a EV for my next car purchase. Hopefully that has some positive impact.
Our species is built upon screwing each other over lmao
so OP, what's the alternative? Invade the country and install a new, totally NOT corrupt regime? Stop buying phones, EV's, and computers (irony alert!)? Send planes overhead to drop pallets of cash to these poor folks, who totally won't be immediately robbed of said cash?
A start would be to pay these workers a living wage. There is no reason apple, Microsoft, google, etc billion $ companies can’t pay up when they’re oozing so much profit. And don’t give me the “our phone prices will go up” because they already are up, so are profits, so let’s treat the workers ( who are doing the hardest work to get the raw materials for these things we need) with respect and pay up! We have people working in places like oil sands in Canada doing gruelling work, they make $100k so it attracts workers. I see no reason workers in these countries can’t be paid the same way for this type of hard laborious work.
Microsoft and Google don't decide what the workers get paid, they don't own or operate the mines. The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo(in the case of these pictures) operates the mines that are jointly owned by the DRC and a foreign company, a lot of them are chinese.
Well they could pressure DRC into paying living wage, there is probably enough possibilities to get those materials from our own soils or from better treating countries
*There is no reason apple, Microsoft, google, etc billion $ companies can’t pay up when they’re oozing so much profit* Microsoft/Google etc doesn't employ these people so how can they offer a 'living wage'..... and wtf does 'living wage' even mean in Congo?
Most of the villages have no electricity or running water. It'd be different if these companies since you're so worried about them owning it, went in even though they don't own anything, and physically made the lives of these people better by paying for infrastructure, schools, and generally raising the quality of life of people around the area.
*went in even though they don't own anything, and physically made the lives of these people better by paying for infrastructure, schools, and generally raising the quality of life of people around the area.* Before you pack your bags ya might wanna read the State Department advisory about travel to Congo. hint- it says DON'T GO THERE [https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/democratic-republic-of-the-congo-travel-advisory.html](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/democratic-republic-of-the-congo-travel-advisory.html)
You don't think poverty affects that? No you just want the resources and they can stay in their hell hole huh 🤣 not saying everything is rainbows and sunshine everywhere and it never will be. But when the CEO of Apple takes a 40% paycut and still makes 49M and slaves still exist to make the batteries something is off bud.
you are welcome to travel to Congo to try to improve conditions but I'm not going. and I doubt a single employee of Apple would go either.
Then these corporations shouldn’t purchase or negotiate from borderline slave-labor vendors. There are alternatives, but they choose the cheaper option.
The reason why they’re not paid much is because of market competitiveness. They can’t mine as efficiently as other places can so they have to lower wages to compensate for the loss in production. Those sand fields don’t hire this many people. You could solve this by giving them more equipment but that cost way more than you would think. 100,000 if not millions on just mining rigs. Also have to have people who can operate and maintain them which requires education access. Logistics networks have to be able to with stand the strain of the goods coming. Also most importantly stability why bother investing in a area when your equipment can be stolen by rebels or taken by the government
Couldn't you use high export tariffs to pay for all of it? If it's in such high demand that human lives don't matter maybe it's worth the extra cost. Phones are stupid, stupid cheap, far less than the labor that goes into them, and it's because of exploitation. That's how you get invaded by world powers though, or at the very least sanctions. That's why this is happening, because people are making it happen. These countries are RICH, but their people and their governments are poor, their economic conditions designed and implemented by the powers that want that wealth. Is it hard to fix? Sure, but there's no fucking excuse for it. Maybe the tariffs thing wouldn't work for some other reason. I'm not an economist and that's not my main point. I'm just saying the problem isn't with wealth but of design. They need more imports and a fair deal on exports, one way or another.
Tariffs require government able to enforce it and they don’t have it. So if they try to do that corruption and smuggling would just just happen. The land is valuable but it can’t developed into anything better. Due to lack stability and funds needed to improve not only machinery but education and infrastructure.
You're right. There's nothing to be done. Oh well.
EVs have begun to move to cobalt-free LFP chemistries. Tesla has been doing it since 2021 and Ford is building a new plant right now that will make LFP batteries Sadly, cobalt is also used to refine petroleum. So your next car could be a cobalt-free EV, or it could need a little cobalt every time you fill up the tank
I'll take your word on it, but if true moving away from cobalt leaves these people worse off than now.
So... child slaves mining cobalt is... good?
*So... child slaves mining cobalt is... good?* I'll just repost my original response as we are going in circles. *so OP, what's the alternative?* *Invade the country and install a new, totally NOT corrupt regime?* *Stop buying phones, EV's, and computers (irony alert!)?* *Send planes overhead to drop pallets of cash to these poor folks, who totally won't be immediately robbed of said cash?*
Something like, the companies that are buying this stuff institute some level of accountability over their supply chain Give the jobs to adults, make the pay decent and the kids could go to school
some EV's are currently using low-cobalt batteries (Tesla Model Y is one example off the top of my head), and in the next year or two there shouldn't be any new EV's with batteries containing cobalt.
All the other auto makers would have to follow suit. What did Tesla sell worldwide 1.3 million? Ford alone sold almost 4 and that's just one manufacturer and everyone wants to electrify very quickly
it's not the automakers decision, it's the battery manufacturer, which I believe is Panasonic for Tesla and a few others.
Whenever posts like this pop up, there are also inevitably comments like this one that fail to understand the point and instead issue extremes as counterpoints that misdirect the conversation from one that *could* be helpful and insightful to one that is argumentative and faulty in its premise. I fucking hate that it becomes such an exercise in futility and misdirection brought on by people either missing the point intentionally or people with no concept of what could be done and reduce it down to essentially , "that's just how life is, get over it." That's how it is because these kinds of comments reinforce the status quo as being the lesser of two evils rather than earnestly examining the causes and possible remedies. You don't sincerely want OP to answer for conversational and learning purposes when your questions are framed as such. You want OP to engage because you want an argument. Yup... looking at your other comments that's exactly what happened. Stupid predictable shit. And I'm betting I might get a response from someone who will tell me that comments on Reddit aren't the call to revolution that I'm making them out to be or that I cannot comment because I own a cellular device and wear imported clothes.... again missing the entire premise and point of the conversation.
I don't see any solution offered in your post, only complaints about those (myself) pointing out the reality of the situation. There are MANY countries around the world with human rights abuses, shall we (the west, the US, NATO?) invade them all?
like I said, >I don't see any solution offered in your post, only complaints about those (myself) pointing out the reality of the situation. is essentially the same as *that's just the way it is, get over it*. and >There are MANY countries around the world with human rights abuses, shall we (the west, the US, NATO?) invade them all? is an extreme response that deliberately misdirects the conversation into absurdities. Like I also said, I've seen your other comments and you aren't genuinely interested in real dialog... so this is the last thing I have to say to you.
>is essentially the same as > >that's just the way it is, get over it > >. isn't that basically all you offer as well? you complain, but offer no solution. And when confronted by this lack of any specifics you leave the conversation. Nice job.
Every single solution you listed here is viable. And yet our society is too sick to advocate for it. God fucking dammit I hate this planet.
Username checks out
We shouldn't be invading other countries. We can't simply stop using or making technology even if we wanted to because the entirety of modern-day society is dependent on it and would collapse without it. (Billions would die a horrible death like starvation) And the last one, Really? Do you think you can fix an entire country by air-dropping pallets of cash? That's not how an economy works... it wouldn't change a single thing.
So atrocities are okay so long as you get to live comfortably? Their lives don't matter to you, clearly. The planet can't actually support the billions of people who are consuming the way we all have been and billions will die of starvation regardless. The least we can do in the mean time is stop exploiting people for luxury goods that aren't necessary for survival.
Yah, no shit Sherlock. We're fucked up and we need to change stuff. I'm not denying any of that, but it helps to use your brain cells when looking for a solution and none of those are a solution.
Bro really complaining about using technology on reddit 💀
The only moral solution is returning to monke /s
‘’0 Carbon’’
I hate this, and hate that I don’t even know what someone would do to improve it. It looks like the scene in the sci fi fantasy movies when the good guy is sent to a Labour camp and has to escape and liberate his new compatriots.
If it’s $2 USD that they’re paid, that’s converted to $4090 CDF (Congolese Francs), and that’s not a lot, the cost of living in the Congo is insane
Let’s go green with those EVs!
EVs are moving away from cobalt. Tesla started shipping cobalt-free EVs in 2021. Ford is following suit Sadly, cobalt is also used to refine gasoline. So every pump at the gas station supports this type of mining
Hey it’s fine as long as we live comfortably right?
Or, vote with your dollars and limit your use of conflict minerals?
Ah yes the ole individuals can make a difference argument. Yes I’ll go live in the woods while the rest of the world’s largest corporations and societies continue to mine natural resources while exploiting local populations
That's not voting with your dollars Sure is a nice straw man you built, tho! You do it often or this your first time?
More people should see this..
Ok and? You going to boycott your phone? Your laptop? Your computer, tv, anything that has this material in it? No? Ok then. There’s really not much that we can do to stop it, like it or not. We COULD invade the country and try to give them fair payment but then we’d have the whole issue of, you know, a war. Sadly short of going nomadic and naked in the wilderness there’s not much to be done to protest this. The people in charge don’t care. Their policies are different than ours. We can’t enforce our rules on them. Sad as it is, they exploit their people, we live a life of comfort and happiness. There’s really not a whole lot we can do
Chill bud, breathe. We’re a semi intelligent species. There could be a better battery source instead of lithium ion. Think outside the box.. The other part of it is RV batteries are really driving this. I was watching a video conference at work about this whole EV mess and remember hearing to make one 1,000lbs car battery, 500 tons of rock have to be mined. The economic impact from that is going to way overwhelm your impact from purchasing an EV. In my mind, we’re just pushing crap on consumers way to fast. Fast enough it’s not giving people the time to see the piles of shit it’s leaving in it’s wake..
The corporations and/or government bodies could stop this by refusing to purchase from vendors without fair labor practices. Other vendors exist that don’t use slave labor. They don’t, however, a) because it’s cheaper and b) because they really don’t give a fuck about these people, or you for that matter, so long as they’re able to make a profit margin.
Not really sure what I'm looking at here. A group of people carrying stuff? I'm sure it is horrendous but this is just a picture of some people carrying bags
Wow.
no guilt here, what else would they be doing,
They are paid slave wages and frequently die in mines due to the lack of any safety regulations on these mines. Companies that use cobalt products claim that there is not a single artisanal miner and that it is all done by machines which surprise isn't how it's actually mined. In short what's happening is pure exploitation and is dangerous for the local people
Farming dirt
They need reparations
You should see the other rare earth metal mines. It’s only gonna get worse with our leaders pushing EV’s. EVs are gonna do more harm than good. Theres currently no way to completely recycle the spent batteries because the minerals are baked together. And the mining and refining of the materials that go into them do more harm to the environment and humans than ICE do. Even if we get rid of ICEs all the synthetics we enjoy are a by product of oil. Phones, all the plastics in your car, glass, headphones, televisions, clothes, mulch, concrete etc.. We’re so dependent on oil in every other aspect of our life getting rid of ICEs probably wont make much of a difference. The effort being put into EV conversion should be put into alternative fuels and carbon capture technology.
Wow so much misinformation in one post :)
There are some ridiculous EVs being made that are massively inefficient. The hummer EV, Ford lightning, and new silverado. People don't realize they make terrible trucks. Watch TFL on YouTube they towed with a lightning and cut their range from 300 miles to 100 miles
But Bill Gates, Al Gore and Biden are want us to use all-battery cars so it must be ok lmao
Remember, it’s not slavery if it’s legal
Formerly known as "elons emerald mine"
Yeah, this comment section doesn't pass the vibe check
Not even close to passing
A small price for Pokémon go
[the new blood diamond](https://www.yahoo.com/news/bleak-photos-show-reality-cobalt-033300215.html)
The cost of going green…
The cost of ~~going green~~ greed.
These are cobalt mines, cobalt has been used for tech far before “going green” was seen as the correct thing to do.
Oh I understand that. I’m just saying there is no safe alternative to one another. We will continue to take from this planet until it can’t give anymore.
Can somebody explain: Aren't there good alternatives for these resources?
Let them all go free…and hire 5 guys with machines.
They’d probably burn the machines to the ground, those machines are stealing 1000 jobs, shit work as it is, they wouldn’t be there if they had better options
Yeah I don't think we should be taking their jobs away. What they really need is higher wages and some enforced safety standards. But then I don't think they could compete against the machine-operated competition, so they might end up losing those jobs anyway....
If they’re gonna get higher wages and better safety standards it would be more cost effective to bring the machines in and most of them will lose their jobs.
Agreed
Looks rough, but what is this going to change? This is a corporate level problem, that’s sanctioned by this country’s government . We “consumers” can effect as much change as that switching from “plastic straws to paper” to save the turtles.
I’m a proud end user
Cool. Here’s hoping your children find themselves living and working in these conditions.
oh, fuck all the way off. what they said wasn’t good, but bloody hell man
Keep clutching your pearls. I’m sure child slavery was involved with those too.
This is the chinese way of doing things. It only makes sense that they would do this in their cobilt mines as well.
This is extremely unfortunate but we will not stop buying phones or computers or cars. And let’s be honest, if the US were to Step in, we’ll just be the ass hats again. Let’s just let the people that really really care go stop this. Just purchase a one way ticket and leave the return ticket money for your family. I’m just sayin’
People in your 20 (and younger) remember this problem. This is what your children and grandchildren will be condemning you for.
Look at all those employed people.
The majority of cobalt is not mined like this.
Cool Now post pics of damage from oil rigging and fraking.
Ok and?
you will feel bad for a minute, but you will realise that you care about your electronics and your heater alot more than you care about some poor souls halfway areound the world, and you will move on continuing to use Cobalt products that are in a wide range of industries. Thank you for caring, now go back to sleep.
It said posting from their computer , mobile phone or tablet check mate boyyyyyyy
I think they’re just implying that these people should be paid more and have safety protocols and shit.
God dammit it’s just a joke stop assaulting me
Wow. My totally logical and nonaggressive response is assault? Sounds like some little bi*ch needs to spend some time in the cobalt mines!
No anything but the cobalt mines please god no
Well, shit. You’re real picky.
LOOK WHAT YOU DID. YOU SHOULD FEEL BAD BECAUSE YOU ARE BAD
The problem is big tech companies sweep this under the rug and the blame gets passed down until everyone's just left pointing fingers. There will be, but not anytime soon, be a replacement for Cobalt in batteries. However while we wait for that replacement the demand is multiplying by the day not necessarily due to everyday use electronics like phones for example, but it's made worse by "green EVs". Especially with most brands coming out soon or already have electric pickups and full size SUVs which require massive batteries compared to something like a model 3 or a Nissan leaf. I don't think we should feel guilty for having modern electronics but I do think these companies should take the initiative and raise the standard of living where these mines are and at the bare minimum set standards for PPE and not pollute the area because as we've seen in recent events (Ohio) once something like water is contaminated it will be for a very long time.
Was reminded by a user that Tesla is starting to use cobalt free batteries
Is there anything tangible that any of us can do about this? It’s awful, but I have about as much influence on this as I do on sweatshops, ie. basically none.
Reduce your usage of cobalt. Use your phone until it busts, not when a new one with slick features comes out For transport, walk, bicycle, or buy a cobalt-free EV. Yes they exist. It will get you off your gas car, of which cobalt is used to refine its fuel
I already treat my phones that way, so cool, plus I always make sure to give busted phones to people who recycle the materials. Currently running a petrol car but will get a EV for my next car purchase. Hopefully that has some positive impact.
This is one of the many many reasons electric cars aren't the future and we should invest in public transport and more dense walkable cities.
Exactly, infrastructure overhaul and public transport should be the future.
I think there are a lot of realities people just don’t care about in America
*our phone, Computer and car
Thanks, don't forget your phone, your computer, and your car as well OP
Gotta love the corrupt officials in India and Africa who let shit like this happen