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🗞 Driving the news: Rapidly increasing nickel demand, primarily driven by the need for rechargeable batteries in greener vehicles, has amplified the devastating environmental impact of nickel mining in Indonesia, threatening indigenous communities and marine life
🔭 The context: Indonesia, the world's largest nickel producer, is expected to meet two-thirds of the world's nickel needs
• The nickel mining process involves deforestation and the use of harmful chemicals, leading to significant environmental degradation, such as frequent floods, mudslides, and damage to marine ecosystems
🌏 Why it matters for the planet: Although nickel is critical for green technology, like electric car batteries, the way it's currently extracted poses a serious threat to local ecosystems and contradicts the global sustainability goals
⏭️ What's next: Indonesian government officials and conservationists agree that stricter environmental regulations and better enforcement are needed
• A recent establishment of a national illegal mining taskforce is a step in the right direction, however, the local indigenous communities and conservationists argue that changes aren't happening fast enough
💬 One quote: "What they are destroying is our future," (Habib Nadjar Buduha, local conservationist)
📈 One stat: The International Energy Agency predicts that demand for nickel will grow by at least 65% by 2030
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