The Environmental and Human Costs of Industrial Cobalt Mining in the DRC

The video discusses the complex relationship between artisanal and industrial mining in the DRC, highlighting the low wages and dangerous conditions faced by miners. It addresses conflicts between local and foreign workers, particularly Chinese, and the environmental degradation caused by cobalt mining. The video also explores the health risks associated with mining, such as respiratory illnesses from cobalt dust, and the broader economic implications, comparing cobalt mining to blood diamonds. Despite the wealth generated from natural resources, the DRC remains impoverished.

What similarities exist between blood diamonds and blood cobalt?

In what ways have foreign companies affected the local economy of the DRC?

What measures are being taken to protect artisanal miners in the DRC?