Electric Cars
Electric cars are a red-hot topic, But the cheer leaders may be myopic, The cars are electronic, But are they economic? And could the future be shambolic? One problem is the cobalt and lithium, Needed for the battery’s equilibrium, These white metal elements, Create numerous impediments. Lithium is rare and Cobalt very rare, And the politicians seem unaware, Of the environmental damage, That will have to be managed, Whilst mining for these white metals, And waiting for the dust to settle, The Congo has most of the Cobalt, And it’s not their fault, When there’s suddenly an assault To open the cobalt vault, Working conditions are grim, With workers risking life and limb, Mining can be by hand with a pick, Or a sharp blade with a thick stick, Computers and smart phones, Are also clones, That use the same elements, And have the same impediments, But still, there’s talk of batteries for planes, That sends shock waves through our brains So, maybe, now we should look afar, Of a life after the car.
©Michael Gold 2022