Cobalt Red by Siddharth Kara - 5 stars (BWF)

[Joy D]

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives by Siddharth Kara - 5* - My Review

This book is Siddharth Kara’s exposé of human rights abuses taking place in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with respect to cobalt mining and the exploitation of people at the bottom of the supply chain. Cobalt is used in rechargeable batteries, which is increasingly in demand to power our electronics. Tech giants and governments are making huge profits and claiming that their supply chains are clean, but as Kara’s evidence shows, this is not the truth. Kara traveled to the Congo to see first-hand what was going on. He saw the open mining pits, the tunnels, and the children working in the mines. Safety measures are basically non-existent. Workers regularly die or are maimed in tunnel collapses. There are no controls in place to prevent toxic dumping. Debt servitude and forced labor is common. Workers are paid the equivalent of a dollar or two per day. Graft is everywhere. He interviewed people in mining operations and governmental officials, as well as the artisan miners and their families, and has assembled a compelling case for action.

The author summarizes the sad history of the country, which is replete with human rights abuses, starting with King Leopold of Belgium (if you want to read more about the colonial history, I can highly recommend King Leopold’s Ghost by Adam Hochschild). Except for a brief glimmer of hope after the first independent elections, the post-colonial government has included a series of despots, who enrich themselves at the expense of the country by selling mineral rights to foreign nations (the latest is China).

To add to these problems, families must pay for their children to go to school, and wages are so low that most cannot afford it. The children end up working in the mines to supplement their family’s income. I think the author has made the case for involvement by international organizations and the tech companies profiting from this shameful abuse should take some responsibility for alleviating suffering of workers at the source of their supply chain. It is a shame that the population of DRC does not benefit from the richness of their country’s resources. As a journalist, Kara points out that there are no easy answers, but awareness is the first step, and I think he has done an excellent job of bringing these horrible abuses to the attention of a wider audience, where more pressure can be applied to those who can do something about it.

BWF May Extra C - fits letter not tag (but is tagged "true crime" which definitely fits!)

[LibraryCin]

It looks like I didn't rate this as highly as I thought I had, but I recall this being very eye-opening, for sure!

[Joy D]

It is a very sad situation and I hope international pressure can be applied. I also think it might help to expose the companies who are financially benefitting from these abuses and calling them out on their claims that their supply chains are "clean."