The Dirty, Deadly Price We Pay for Clean Cars
Indonesian nickel is found in the supply chain of every major EV seller. On today’s Big Take Asia podcast we examine the dark side of the electric vehicle revolution.
Locals take wood through the muddy shoreline in Ganda Ganda, not far from Kolonodale, the capital of North Morowali, Central Sulawesi. The presence of massive nickel mines nearby has destroyed the local environment.
Photographer: Muhammad Fadli/Bloomberg
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Indonesia’s nickel business is booming. The metal is a key component in electric car batteries, but its success has a dark side. The country’s nickel mines and processing plants have a history of fatal accidents, with workers being run over by forklifts and burnt to death in smelter fires.