JD asks: "Are you suggesting cobalt extraction issues are unique to EVs? '

Since I didn't mention either cobalt or EVs, JD might be able to answer his own question.

Again, for the slow, I was just pointing out that the economic exploitation of Central African resources by the Chinese is not exactly endearing them to the locals.

Paul. OTOH, thinks the exploitation is being done by "greedy Capitalism" and " must be resisted". But rest assured he'll change his mind in a trice when he finds out the exploitation is being done by his beloved CCP.

mhaze,

The thread is about cobalt and EV batteries. You entered that thread and discussed Chinese exploitation in Central Africa. So context matters.

If your point is that Chinese mining practices are unpopular locally, fine. But that’s a broader commodities issue. Cobalt extraction predates EVs and feeds electronics, oil refining and industrial alloys as well.

If we’re going to discuss exploitation in African resource extraction, let’s discuss it across the board rather than treating EVs as uniquely implicated.

Actually the thread is about child exploitation in regards to mining of exotic minerals needed for all sorts of first world paraphernalia.

And currently the exploiters are increasingly Chinese companies backed by their government. And increasingly, Central African people, (but not their leaders who are profiting mightily) are seeing the Chinese as ruthless exploiters of the locals rather than economic saviours.

mhaze,

The thread began by framing this as something "powering EVs."

You've now widened it to minerals used in all sorts of first-world products, which makes this a broader commodities and governance issue — not something unique to EVs.

Child labour in parts of Central Africa long predates battery demand and affects electronics and industrial supply chains as well.

The serious question is how supply chains improve oversight and traceability, rather than singling out one product category.

Dan,

You could talk the leg of a chair, but you've gone right off the reservation: child soldiers and whatever else you can throw in is irrelevant to the topic.

The African continent is a lost cause, something recognised by educated Africans themselves. Foreign aid has stopped them doing much to help themselves. Numbers of books have been written about how doomed it is.

We can't do a thing about child soldiers. We can refuse to buy EVs and thereby minerals mined by kids. Maybe they would turn into little soldiers instead, but the West isn't involved in that. It is involved in promoting, buying, totally unnecessary vehicles to enrich climate frauds and our number one enemy, China. We can do something about that. Not that I expect it to be done. Australians are very selective when it comes to oozing with “compassion”. And they do so like cheap stuff, no matter how little workers are paid, how badly they are treated.

ttbn,

Again, refusing to buy EVs doesn't remove Congolese mining from the global economy. Cobalt is also used in phones, laptops, refining catalysts and industrial alloys. The issue is governance and supply-chain oversight in resource extraction - not the propulsion system of a particular vehicle.

If the goal is reducing exploitation, the conversation has to be consistent across sectors, not selectively aimed at one technology.