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‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ is a show that often brings out astonishing facts and revelations. The recent episode has done something similar. Episode #1914 of the popular podcast hosted by Joe Rogan had a noted expert in modern-day slavery, human trafficking, and child labor, Siddharth Kara, over. Kara is also an author and was talking about his soon-to-be-released book, “Cobalt Red: How the blood of the Congo powers our lives“. It surprised Joe Rogan to learn that there was nothing called “clean cobalt” as many corporations that dealt with recyclable batteries.

Cobalt is a chemical element that keeps the cathodes of batteries from overheating and extends the life of batteries. Large corporations claim that the cobalt they use in their products comes out of industrialized mines. This implies that they do not use artisanal miners (miners who use their hands) to extract their cobalt. However, the reality is entirely different.

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The state of Cobalt mines appalled Joe Rogan

Siddharth Kara explained why Congo is the hub of Cobalt mining. The South-Eastern region of Congo, also called ‘Khatanga’ sat on the largest mines of Cobalt in the world. He later talked about how the Chinese government and the Chinese companies moved in for mining; before others could even think of it. Also, they have created a system that keeps miners in inhuman conditions; with no regard for their safety or rights. The Harvard scholar further shared exclusive videos from a Cobalt mine in Congo. It showed thousands of people crammed into an open mine.

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Kara said, “There are these fictions told at the top of the chain about what conditions are like at the bottom, and truth seekers have to go find that truth and enlighten civilization. So that people get agitated about it and want to do something about it.
Joe Rogan looked visibly shocked to know the truth about the cobalt mines. He went ahead and asked his guest, Are there any industrialized cobalt mines that use machinery and don’t use slavery and don’t use child labor and don’t use these people that live in unimaginable poverty?”

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Clean Cobalt is a myth?

Siddharth Kara said he had never seen a mine that was industrialized; despite having been to all the major Cobalt mines. There were no mines that didn’t use artisanal miners. He said that there was no corporate house that could “reliably” and “justifiably” claim to be working with clean cobalt.

The African continent has always been a treasure to other continents. The people of Africa have been suffering for generations. They have been susceptible to oppression and subjugation; because of the natural resources of their country. There is an endless war for control over their natural resources. However, what lies in the future for Africa will depend on what people there will do today.

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