Cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Siddharth KaraAuthor and researcher on modern slavery, author of 'Cobalt Red' and 'The Zorg'

• Kara reported that water around villages near Kolwezi tested hyperacidic, in the threes and fours on the pH scale.

  “The rivers and streams and well water around the villages came back in the fours and threes. which is called hyperacidic. It's deadly”

  The Joe Rogan Experience: #2556 - Siddharth Kara (Sep 22, 2026) · Listen from 2:18:16

• Kara said companies cannot simply walk away once recycling replaces mined cobalt, because they have a moral obligation to repair the damage done.

  “You created a catastrophe, a human rights and environmental catastrophe. And there's some moral obligation to repair the damage you've done”

  The Joe Rogan Experience: #2556 - Siddharth Kara (Sep 22, 2026) · Listen from 2:16:44

• Kara said Chinese companies operating in Africa apply no meaningful human rights standards.

  “there's nothing by way of human rights standards when you're talking about Chinese companies operating in Africa”

  The Joe Rogan Experience: #2556 - Siddharth Kara (Sep 22, 2026) · Listen from 28:25

• Kara said switching away from cobalt to lithium-based chemistries would not help, since a major lithium deposit in Congo has equally horrific conditions.

  “One of the biggest lithium deposits now is in the Congo. And it just started shipping under this Chinese mining company in June of this year”

  The Joe Rogan Experience: #2556 - Siddharth Kara (Sep 22, 2026) · Listen from 17:45