Key Terms for Commerce and Society

object prehistories

the lifecycle, material origins, and social contexts of a physical item before it assumed its current identity, usage, or institutional classification.

cobalt extraction in the DR

Cobalt is a critical raw material used in lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles (EVs), smartphones, laptops, and renewable energy storage. The DRC holds over 60% to 70% of the world’s cobalt reserves and accounts for the vast majority of global production, making it the indispensable epicenter of the global clean energy transition and modern consumer electronics.

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