2023-12-30 09:00:00
The shadow of child labor hangs over the manufacturing industry electric car, highlighting the urgency of adopting sustainable and ethical practices. In fact, companies in the sector face a moral imperative to re-evaluate their material sources.
The automobile industry, long applauded for its transition to more environmentally friendly technologies, today finds itself at the heart of an ethical controversy. A recent article in a Swedish newspaper shed light on a dark side to electric car manufacturing. He discusses the controversial use of mica, an essential mineral in electric car batteries, the extraction of which involves child labor.
Child labor in the electric car industry: a reality denounced by many
Revelations regarding mica production conditions call into question the advantages of electric cars, whose impact on the environment seems lower than that of combustion engine vehicles. Of course, mica is a versatile mineral. Indeed, beyond its use in batteries, this material is appreciated in various industries for its properties. insulating, adhesive and aesthetic. However, a Swedish article questions the necessity of using mica to ensure battery safety.
Two journalists investigated the exploitation of mica in Madagascar. They thus revealed worrying extraction conditions in this country ranked third in the world among mica producers.
Their investigation denounces the exploitation and illegal labor of 10,000 children in this sector for the electric car industry. Additionally, it raises questions regarding the social responsibility of companies that integrate this material into their supply chain.
The link between this material and electric cars seems particularly direct in the article. According to its authors, mica covers the batteries of electric cars to protect them from fire.
Are electric cars solely responsible for the high demand for mica?
According to Swedish journalists Staffan Lindberg and Magnus Wennman, other materials also protect the batteries. However, their high price and rarity pose an ethical problem for the automobile industry.
The question of responsibility arises: are electric cars the solely responsible for the growing demand for mica ? This mineral was already used for many applications well before the advent of electric cars. However, the growth of the automotive industry, particularly in the electric car sector, has significantly amplified this demand. Standard batteries consist of of more than 10 kg of micaan amount that continues to increase as battery safety standards evolve.
But electric cars are not, far from it, the only one responsible for the growing demand for mica. The mica controversy, particularly over child labor, highlights a major challenge for the electric car industry. This must in fact navigate between growing demand and the need to respect ethical standards.
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