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Tesla Lithium Mine - Audit
Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced on Tuesday that the electric carmaker will audit its lithium mine in Nevada and place a webcam at the entrance to ensure that no child labor is being used.
The reason this is being done is that the announcement came after a shareholder proposal was submitted to Tesla urging the company to conduct a third-party audit of its cobalt suppliers to ensure that no child labor is being used. Cobalt is a key component in lithium-ion batteries, which are used in Tesla's electric cars.
It's also important to note that Tesla batteries don't use nearly as much cobalt as a phone like the iPhone does.
Musk said that Tesla would "conduct a third-party audit of our lithium suppliers. In fact, we'll put a webcam on the mine. If anybody sees any children, please let us know."
The announcement was met with praise from human rights groups.
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The Challenge With Cobalt
Tesla is not the only company that has been accused of using child labor in the cobalt industry.
Apple, Microsoft, and Samsung have all been accused of using cobalt that was mined by children in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The use of child labor in the cobalt industry is a complex issue.
Cobalt is a relatively rare mineral that is found in a number of countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Australia, and Canada. The Democratic Republic of Congo is the world's leading producer of cobalt, and it is estimated that up to 40% of the cobalt produced in the country is mined by children.
There are a number of factors that contribute to the use of child labor in the cobalt industry.
One factor is poverty. The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the poorest countries in the world, and many families rely on the income that their children can earn from mining cobalt. Another factor is the lack of education and job opportunities. Many children in the Democratic Republic of Congo do not have access to education, and they see mining as their only option for earning a living.
There are a number of things that can be done to address the issue of child labor in the cobalt industry.
One thing that can be done is to improve the working conditions in cobalt mines. This includes providing miners with safe working conditions, access to education, and fair wages. Another thing that can be done is to support programs that help to educate children about the dangers of child labor and the importance of education.
Tesla's decision to audit its lithium mine and place a webcam at the entrance is a positive step towards ensuring that no child labor is being used in the production of Tesla's batteries. However, it is important to remember that this is just one step, and there is still much work to be done to address the issue of child labor in the cobalt industry.
Do you think Tesla is doing the right thing with an audit of its mine and placing a webcam there?
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Jeremy Johnson is a Tesla investor and supporter. He first invested in Tesla in 2017 after years of following Elon Musk and admiring his work ethic and intelligence. Since then, he's become a Tesla bull, covering anything about Tesla he can find, while also dabbling in other electric vehicle companies. Jeremy covers Tesla developments at Torque News. You can follow him on Twitter or LinkedIn to stay in touch and follow his Tesla news coverage on Torque News.
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