Nickel workers powered the EV battery boom. Now, layoffs have hit.

Nickel mining drives pollution and community loss on Indonesian island

Nickel extraction on Indonesia’s Kabaena Island has degraded forests, polluted seas and disrupted Bajau Indigenous livelihoods, according to a new report linking the mines to global electric vehicle supply chains.Hans Nicholas Jong reports for Mongabay.In short:Mining operations have stripped more than 700 hectares of forest and caused coastal sedimentation that threatens leatherback turtles and endangered macaques.Bajau fishers and seaweed farm…

Nickel boom on an Indonesian island brings toxic seas, lost incomes, report says

JAKARTA — Kasman Amir grew up in a fishing family in a small coastal village on Kabaena Island in eastern Indonesia. The family home sat on stilts above the water, and he recalled waking up to the sound of the boat engine. The village, home to the nomadic Bajau sea tribe — whose culture inspired the Hollywood movie Avatar: The Way of Water — was once surrounded by clear waters that allowed children to play freely. “As kids, we loved playing in t…

Nickel workers powered the EV battery boom. Now, layoffs have hit.

Nickel processing workers now fear layoffs as prices drop and carmakers like BYD and Tesla switch to lithium ion batteries.