Toxic Cost of Going Green | Unreported World
3,036,748
Published 2021-10-31
Around seventy percent of the world's cobalt is mined in the Central African country, mostly from the southern Katanga area, thought to be one of the ten most polluted places on earth. Reporter Jamal Osman travels to Kolwezi, a city dependent on supplying Cobalt, a critical component for electric cars and rechargeable batteries. Residents are employed by large multinational companies, or in smaller, and more dangerous artisanal mines. We meet the men who clamber down dark weaving airless tunnels to extract cobalt for as little as $150 per month. But is the paycheck worth the health risks that doctors have uncovered?
Director: Girish Juneja
Series Producer: Andy Lee
Executive Producer: Ed Fraser
Production Company: Channel 4 News
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All Comments (21)
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Such an interesting documentary that exposes the hidden side of green technology. A powerful reminder that sustainability is more than the environment, it's about considering people's health and livelihoods
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This is why I use everything until exhaustion. We like shaming people for not buying anything, but it should really be the opposite.
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There's a quote from the 2006 movie Blood Diamond which always stuck: “Throughout the history of Africa, whenever a substance of value is found the locals die, in great number and in misery."
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The crying young mother has broken my heart.
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Nothing in this world is as "environmentally friendly", "zero waste", etc. as some people want to achieve. There is always someone suffering or someone exploiting something 😥😥
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Their story needs more exposure, we need to take this issue seriously
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It is disgusting how these people have to live when the government gets so much money from their Countries resources , And they don’t even have enough to live / feed on, something IS VERY WRONG here.
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Where is the international outrage over this grave injustice?
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As long as it’s not their country that paid the consequences, they will happily turn a blind eye
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So the moral of this documentary is "someone is dying for your fashionable living whom you don't know".
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I used to live and work in Kolwezi, thank you for telling the truth
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This is not about going green or sustainability - this is about how corporations operate regardless of what business they are supporting.
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I am beyond pissed off. Africa could be one of the richest places in the world. But bad leadership and a corrupt government can hold you back.
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This is heartbreaking. There's nothing worse than a corrupt government.
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Potentially one of the most important videos to have been posted this decade.
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Hard to watch these poor kids. Nothing hits me in the feels more than a suffering child. I hope they all find peace and happiness.
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The fact that this isn’t being broadcasted on the news is frightening.
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This is beyond saddening. This is as unethical as it gets. There are better ways to source the Cobalt, far away from villages and farms. It's sickening to know that these poor people have no control over what is happening around their villages and the children are the ones suffering the most.
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The health cost of some technologies is unbrearable.
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Thank you for reporting. The hamrful effects of pollution are apparent, affecting poor innocent children the worst. One can see how worse off the youngsters are compared to the elders. Nevermind the inequality compared to richer countries.
