807: Siddharth Kara | How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives

Siddharth Kara ( @siddharthkara ) is a British Academy Global Professor, an Associate Professor of Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery at Nottingham University, a Senior Fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health, and the author of the New York Times bestseller Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives . What We Discuss with Siddharth Kara: Cobalt is an essential component of every lithium-ion rechargeable battery made today — the batteries that power our smartphones, tablets, laptops, and electric vehicles. About 75 percent of the world's supply of cobalt is mined in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , often by peasants and children in subhuman conditions who suffer and often die for their trouble. The environmental impact of cobalt extraction , including deforestation and pollution, that leaves behind toxic pits and wasteland unfit for sustaining life. The complex web of actors involved in the exploitation of Congo's mineral resources , including smugglers, traders, and corrupt government officials. As consumers, what can we do to raise awareness and jolt ourselves out of the apathy that allows these atrocities to continue in our names while holding the multinational interests that perpetrate them accountable? And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/807 This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/deals Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course ! Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .