Cobalt Child Labor

245 Words1 Page

Rare metals such as cobalt play an important role in our daily lives. Devices from car batteries to cell phones contain rare cobalt, and as the demand for these devices increases, so does the demand for cobalt. However, the process of mining these materials horribly impacts both the environment and the miners. Most cobalt miners live in the African Congo, where they work for extremely low wages with little if any regulation. Child labor is a frequent force, as many children either cannot afford to go to school or need to work in order to be able to pay for school in the future. Artisanal mines are the worst offenders, with no regulation nor advanced mining technology, but since they produce much cheaper cobalt than industrial mines they continue

Open Document