Very interesting piece from Bloomberg which declares that it's "OK to mine the rainforest for car batteries".
The article raises some good statistics on deforestation in Indonesia, noting that the deforestation linked to #nickel extraction is orders of magnitude less than deforestation from palm oil. The article suggests that nickel extraction is a reasonable trade off as it will reduce dependence on oil.
While small compared to agriculture and palm oil, the footprint of Indonesian nickel mines is large by mining standards. Indonesia's laterite nickel deposits are shallow, thin and patchy in nature, meaning that you can't just extend the mine deeper into the ground to extract more nickel. Instead, the mines extend horizontally, with a consistent ratio of deforested land to nickel mined. The more batteries produced, the more loss of rainforest.
Nonetheless, the article is correct that these areas are relatively small compared to the rates of deforestation seen in Indonesia's agricultural and palm oil sectors.
Still, the Bloomberg article misses two important points.
▪ The ultramafic rainforest that sits above Indonesia's nickel is highly unique, and is home to an astounding number of endemic species. We have relatively little information on the biodiversity of the ultramafic rainforests, as they have not been well studied unlike the more popular types of tropical rainforest.
▪ The new ports and roads established by mining companies enables easy access for new agricultural activities, which adds to the deforestation rates from mining.
Regardless, it's definitely not OK to mine the rainforest with complete disregard for good mining practices, which is something that occurs in far too many mines - but certainly not all. Leading companies, like Harita Nickel and Nickel Industries Limited, are showing how to do it well, but more companies must follow this lead.
It is wrong to suggest, as this article implicitly does, that we should turn a blind eye to these practices so that we can enjoy cheaper batteries for electric vehicles. We must demand a more sustainable approach to mineral extraction.
Read the Bloomberg piece here:
https://lnkd.in/g-VUJBse
