Siddharth Kara's book, Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives (2023), has been causing deep soul searching in the tech world of late.

Kara exposes a painful conundrum that lies at the intersection of our desire to move to an electric, renewable-driven world and the human rights costs inevitably paid by others as we come to rely almost completely on rechargeable batteries.

Whether or not you've read the book, I highly suggest listening to Kara's interview on Joe Rogan's podcast. Rogan's not everyone's cup of tea, but he felt so strongly about the message that he basically turned his show over to Kara for the day to make his case.

I guarantee this will change how you view at any product, from smartphone to EV, that includes a rechargeable battery.