A review by ninaprime
Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives by Siddharth Kara

4.0

4.5 stars - A vital read that shakes you out of mindless consumption to become more aware of the human cost of daily luxuries. Kara carries out a first person investigation into artisanal mining of Congolese cobalt, a critical ingredient to make batteries for phones, laptops, and EVs that is used by countless of global companies (Apple, Samsung, Tesla, and many more). These miners are badly exploited - not given access to safety gear, paid ridiculously low wages, and subjected to physical and sexual abuse, to gloss over a few issues, and that's without even getting into the scope of child labor that fuels the industry. It's the latest in a cycle of exploitation of the Congo's people and land as he demonstrates by accounting the history of the country, and one that appears to have no obvious end in sight given the high demand and the willingness of the government to capitalize on this oppression for their benefit. I do wish Kara had spent a little more energy on potential solutions but I appreciate his commitment to bringing these voices to the mainstream since the Congolese cannot.