Siddharth Kara demonstrates the scope of modern slavery and its role in global supply chains to offer a concrete path toward its abolition. This searing expose-including revelatory interviews with both the enslaved and their oppressors-documents one of humanity's greatest wrongs and lays out the framework to eradicate it.
This New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestseller, shortlisted for the Financial Times Best Business Book of the Year Award, offers a powerful investigation into the human rights abuses tied to cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Siddharth Kara, an activist and researcher, delves into the harrowing realities faced by those living and working in cobalt-rich regions, sharing their testimonies. His research takes him into militia-controlled mining areas, where he uncovers the brutal conditions under which cobalt is extracted, often involving children and impoverished workers. Cobalt, a critical component in lithium-ion batteries that power our smartphones, laptops, and electric vehicles, is predominantly sourced from the Congo, where around 75 percent of the world's supply is mined. The book highlights the stark reality that billions of people rely on these technologies, inadvertently contributing to a cycle of human rights and environmental crises. Kara emphasizes the moral responsibility we all share regarding the exploitation occurring in the Congo, urging readers to recognize their connection to these global issues. This crucial exposé calls for awareness and action in the face of such profound injustices.
¿Qué tan limpia es realmente nuestra transición hacia la movilidad sostenible? El cobalto es un recurso que mantiene en funcionamiento nuestra vida cotidiana impulsada por baterías. Su extracción se realiza principalmente en la República Democrática del Congo, en medio de graves violaciones de derechos humanos. ¿Qué industria hay detrás de nuestros automóviles eléctricos, smartphones y laptops? El economista y activista Siddharth Kara ha viajado a las regiones mineras controladas por milicias, adentrándose en el oscuro corazón de nuestro capitalismo fósil. En su libro, revela por primera vez las cadenas de suministro y modelos de negocio de las empresas tecnológicas y automotrices, cuyos compromisos de sostenibilidad a menudo resultan ser ficción. Explora los antecedentes coloniales que han llevado a las actuales condiciones y, sobre todo, da voz a las personas que arriesgan sus vidas por la extracción de cobalto. Kara ofrece un relato impactante y fundamentado sobre las profundidades de nuestro mundo postimperial, ampliando nuestra comprensión de los efectos morales de nuestra economía global, que nos afectan a todos.