The big push in child labor in cobalt mines is coming from the projected production need of lithium batteries, not from any other market. I'm glad you have no problem with that. My wife's homeland, Zambia, has signed a letter of understanding with the U.S. and the DR Congo covering lithium and cobalt mining. I suspect that will seek to curtail the native economies under the guise of noble motives.
I know that the original comment was off the mark regarding rare earth metals (people don't know what they are), but the issue was the huge increase in the relevant mineral extraction under unsavory conditions, necessitated by a massive increase in battery production.
The dodge with lanthanum and cerium is amusing. They are found together and their prevalence is at least 3 times higher than lead, so while they are categorized as "rare earths" they are not actually rare. They have a huge variety of uses, not just in the petroleum industry (cerium is used in flints for cigarette lighters). And in that industry, they are used as catalysts, which are not consumed by the chemical processes they facilitate. So, it is a refining plant investment, not a continuing consumable like lithium. My dad is long dead, so he will take no offense.
The big push in child labor in cobalt mines is coming from the projected production need of lithium batteries, not from any other market. I'm glad you have no problem with that. My wife's homeland, Zambia, has signed a letter of understanding with the U.S. and the DR Congo covering lithium and cobalt mining. I suspect that will seek to curtail the native economies under the guise of noble motives.
I know that the original comment was off the mark regarding rare earth metals (people don't know what they are), but the issue was the huge increase in the relevant mineral extraction under unsavory conditions, necessitated by a massive increase in battery production.
The dodge with lanthanum and cerium is amusing. They are found together and their prevalence is at least 3 times higher than lead, so while they are categorized as "rare earths" they are not actually rare. They have a huge variety of uses, not just in the petroleum industry (cerium is used in flints for cigarette lighters). And in that industry, they are used as catalysts, which are not consumed by the chemical processes they facilitate. So, it is a refining plant investment, not a continuing consumable like lithium. My dad is long dead, so he will take no offense.