Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives

By Siddharth Kara

Categories: History, Politics & Social Sciences

Cobalt Red (St. Martin's, 2023) is Siddharth Kara's investigation of cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, source of most of the cobalt used in rechargeable batteries. Traveling around Kolwezi, Kara interviews artisanal diggers, including children, who work in pits and tunnels for a few dollars a day, exposed to toxic dust and deadly collapses. He traces the cobalt through traders and Chinese-run processors to the supply chains of technology and electric-car companies, within a long history of foreign exploitation.

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• Joe Rogan: “I had this guy said Darth Car [Siddharth Kara] on the podcast. Uh he wrote a book. ... His uh book on cobalt mining in the Congo. ... that is cobalt red. The blood of the Congo powers our lives. It's a very disturbing conversation.”