Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives (2023) by Siddharth Kara is an exposé of the conditions in cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kara documents the shocking environmental and human impacts that artisanal cobalt mining has in the region. The demand for cobalt mining has exploded in the past decade because cobalt is a critical component of rechargeable batteries, such as those used in computers, laptops, and electric vehicles. Kara describes the unsafe working conditions Congolese miners are exposed to, some of whom are children. He characterizes the contemporary cobalt mining industry as the most recent iteration of colonial exploitation in a region that was pillaged by Western powers for its rubber, copper, and other resources for centuries. Kara conducts on-the-ground research and interviews with miners and experts to expose the horrors of the industry. Cobalt Red was a New York Times bestseller and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.

Siddharth Kara has previously written three books about modern-day enslavement. His book Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery (2009) won the Frederick Douglass Book Prize.

Content Warning: The source material features graphic depictions of violence, injuries, and death.