The World’s Mayor Experience Episode 3: The Ethical Cost of Our Batter

In this episode of The World’s Mayor Experience, we explore two of the most pressing environmental issues of our time: blood batteries and plastic pollution.

Blood batteries are batteries made using minerals like cobalt, which are sourced from conflict zones. The production of these batteries comes at a high ethical cost, as children as young as seven are often involved in the dangerous task of mining cobalt in hazardous conditions. The revenue generated from the sale of these minerals often goes into financing armed groups and perpetuating conflict in these regions.

Plastic pollution is another major environmental issue. Plastic waste is found in every corner of the planet, from the deepest oceans to the highest mountains. It can harm marine life, pollute ecosystems, and contribute to climate change.

In this episode, we discuss the technological, regulatory, and social responsibility measures that can be taken to address these two issues. We also hear from mayors from around the world about what they are doing to make their cities more sustainable.

Originally published at https://theworldsmayor.com on August 31, 2023.