Until this moment, I thought that the ground in the Congo took its vermillion hue from the copper in the dirt, but now I cannot help but wonder whether the earth here is red because of all the blood that has spilled upon it.

Kara delves into the more recent history of the Congo, beginning with the advent of colonialism, through the corrupt dictatorship of Mobutu (whom the US and UK placed and kept in power) and shows how these led to the current situation of exploitation and suffering of the Congolese people, three-fourths of whom live below the poverty line. We cannot ignore what is happening in the DRC, and though it has certainly gone on for too long, perhaps now that Siddharth Kara’s exposé has laid bare the truth for the world to see, there can be change, whereby the people of the Congo, who have suffered immensely throughout history, will finally be able to move forward with the hope and self-determination they deserve. The cobalt found in the dirt here provides maximum stability and energy density to rechargeable batteries, allowing them to hold more charge and operate safely for longer periods. The two leading coalitions are the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) and the Global Battery Alliance (GBA). It's far deeper than just the extreme over consumption and desire for more smart phones and electric vehicles, but displays true corruption at the highest level from our biggest companies and political leaders.

I may not have come away with a plan or many thoughts on how to help this crisis, but I was emotionally affected and was educated and this is what will fuel my future actions. My power was back on in 35 hours, those 35 hours without being made more comfortable by all my battery-powered devices. The rapacious appetite for cobalt is a direct result of today’s device-driven economy combined with the global transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy. It appears these coalitions exist merely so that the companies can claim to be against slavery and child labor without actually being against either of those things.

To uncover the realities of cobalt mining in the Congo, I journeyed into the heart of the country’s two mining provinces—Haut-Katanga and Lualaba. This is a book more people need to read because like me I doubt many knew about what was truly going on.

Cobalt is an essential component to every lithium-ion rechargeable battery made today, the batteries that power our smartphones, tablets, laptops, and electric vehicles.