Electric cars: Not so good for kids

Some people say electric cars are good because they save gas money and help the environment, but they haven’t figured out where the powder and the battery comes from or how it’s created. Unfortunately, these sources have created a very rough way for other people around the world.

This powder and battery charge is being dug up by kids! Kids are having to mine 24 hours and earn up to one penny an hour. These kids are doing child labor because of the hard work and little bits of food they get a day. They are in lots of pain and are hoping one day they will be able to stop and live normal like us.

They are usually put in open abandoned mines and mostly will be found in DR, Congo. In my opinion, when I heard this news I was heartbroken and I had to speak up. This is horrible and I personally think though it will cost, these cars and extra batteries should be banned to help and possibly save these kids.

This year they are even putting tons of thousands of more kids as old as 6 years old to the biggest jobs in the organization. This includes dragging heavy sacks of cobalt just to be washed and spending extra time making sure there is no precious powder and if there is, they must give it back to the head of this organization.

After about three washes for the sacks they must return and grab another sack. This takes about 15-30 minutes washing for each sack. Kids under 6 and their moms wait for the children near the mines for them, but doing this is causing them to breathe toxic fumes. This could possibly cause a terrible sickness or even death.

Just imagine how the kids are doing if they have moms or younger siblings die from being near it. Imagine how hard it is to basically live in and inhale the fumes every day!

In conclusion I think what we are doing is terrible and it needs to stop as soon as possible because this isn’t fair for so many kids at this age or even at all.

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Brynna is a student at Sorensen Magnet School of the Arts and Humanities in Coeur d’Alene.