MB Civic

Chen in In These Times ..

SOMO, a Netherlands-based consumer advocacy group, says corporations must be held accountable for environmental and social impacts at each point in the production process, from the mining of precious ores to the last rivet on the assembly line. An electric car’s green veneer may hide old industrial practices that exploit workers and vulnerable communities .. SOMO researcher Tim Steinweg surmised, “the supply chain of many of our consumer products cause grave damage to people and the environment around the world. The electric car battery supply chain is no exception.” The problems start deep underground, where an element that is essential to battery production, lithium, has become a red-hot commodity for the mining sector and the industries linked to it .. As the electric car industry gears up for the mainstream markets, Bolivia (the so-called “Saudi Arabia of Lithium”) has become ground zero for various turf battles that pit locals against both foreign companies and government agencies

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