Cobalt Red

The revelatory bestseller from The New York Times and Publishers Weekly presents an unflinching investigation into the human rights abuses tied to cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Through the voices of Congolese people, Siddharth Kara documents brutal mining practices, militia-controlled sites, and the perilous journey of cobalt from the pit to the devices we rely on daily. Cobalt is essential to lithium-ion batteries that power smartphones, tablets, laptops, and electric vehicles, and roughly 75 percent of the world’s cobalt comes from Congo, often under sub-human conditions. This stark work argues that we are all implicated and calls for accountability and change.

Kara travelled deep into cobalt territory to gather testimonies of those who live, work, and suffer for cobalt. The book traces the supply chain from toxic pits to consumer-facing tech companies and reveals the immense human and environmental costs of today’s battery-driven world.

The book is 288 pages long and was published in hardcover in 2023, highlighting the urgent moral questions surrounding everyday technology and global supply chains.

Kenmerken

• Reveals human rights abuses in Congo cobalt mining
• Based on testimonies of Congolese people
• Traces cobalt supply chain from pit to tech giants
• Highlights child labour and dangerous working conditions
• Explains cobalt's role in lithium-ion batteries
• Argues global consumer accountability for Congo's crisis