TV Programme - Unreported World .....Lithium and Cobalt mining...

[Deleted User]

After watching these programmes and seeing the destruction caused to the Congo and other 3rd world countries it's making me have second thoughts about buying an electric car.... the negative effect in extracting it is raping their landscape and having a big impact on their food supply, health, and quality of life, i was shocked by it's ravaging effects.
Does anyone else share this view or is it just me ?

QrizB

[Deleted User] said:

Does anyone else share this view or is it just me ?

Just you, I suspect.

Martyn1981

Hi. Cobalt isn't used in all types of EV batteries, such as LFP batteries, and even those that do use it, have found ways to reduce the amount.

I totally get where you are coming from regarding mining, but this practice takes part all over the world to find metals or fuel for us to use, and it's not new. You may be interested to know that the issues surrounding Cobalt mining have only really started to make the news as EV's become more popular, threatening the future of oil. Before that nobody really raised the issue dispite Cobalt being used in many industrial processes and products, especially the petrol/diesel refining process to produce lower sulphur fuels.

Obviously the effects of poorly regulated official mines, and artisinal mining is upsetting to watch, but on the other hand, if managed well, Cobalt can be an extremely good source of export income for the DRC, and I hope conditions improve for everyone.

Verdigris

[Deleted User] said:

After watching these programmes and seeing the destruction caused to the Congo and other 3rd world countries it's making me have second thoughts about buying an electric car.... the negative effect in extracting it is raping their landscape and having a big impact on their food supply, health, and quality of life, i was shocked by it's ravaging effects.
Does anyone else share this view or is it just me ?

Did you have second thoughts about buying the device you posted your message from?

arty688

Defiantly needs controls on mining to reduce environmental impact and pressure needs to be put on car manufactures to explain where there batteries come from and how the minerals are extracted . That said the advantage of using batteries instead of fossil fuels is that they are recyclable where as fossil fuels are not so from a global perspective batteries are probably better. 

Verdigris

Yes, I share the concerns about the environmental and ethical aspects of extractive industries. I think more emphasis should be put on finding less destructive methods of working. For lithium I wonder if a form of "fracking" could be used, as it has been found that useful amounts of lithium are dissolved in the water cirulating in geothermal heating schemes, in Cornwall, which can easily be extracted.

[Deleted User]

Verdigris said:

Catsacor said:

After watching these programmes and seeing the destruction caused to the Congo and other 3rd world countries it's making me have second thoughts about buying an electric car.... the negative effect in extracting it is raping their landscape and having a big impact on their food supply, health, and quality of life, i was shocked by it's ravaging effects.
Does anyone else share this view or is it just me ?

Did you have second thoughts about buying the device you posted your message from?

I didn't - but when i bought this laptop i was less aware of these things.
As i become more aware i have differing thoughts.

coffeehound

Martyn1981 said: but on the other hand, if managed well, Cobalt can be an extremely good source of export income for the DRC, and I hope conditions improve for everyone.

Out of interest, is this mining being run by the Chinese?  I understand they are increasingly involved in controlling African countries' raw materials production

[Deleted User]

Indeed they are increasingly involved.
I watched the programme about Elon Musk, quite recently, and that fact was highlighted in the mining process his company uses.