On this edition of Your Call's One Planet Series, we're discussing a major joint investigation by The New York Times and The Examination exposing how US car battery recycling is poisoning communities in Ogijo, Nigeria — where toxic lead dust from crude smelters settles over homes, schools, and playgrounds.
In Ogijo, many factories still break batteries apart by hand and vent toxic smoke into the air. Independent blood testing commissioned by The New York Times and The Examination revealed widespread lead poisoning among workers and residents — including children with levels linked to permanent developmental harm.
The Nigerian government briefly shut several smelters, but operations resumed within days, leaving families still exposed with little ability to move or protect themselves.
Lead is an essential element in car batteries. But mining and processing it is expensive. So companies have turned to recycling as a cheaper, seemingly sustainable source of this hazardous metal.
Guest:
Peter Goodman, global economics correspondent for The New York Times, and author of How the World Ran Out of Everything: Inside the Global Supply Chain, and Davos Man: How the Billionaires Devoured the World
Resources:
The Examination: The auto industry was warned: Battery recycling was poisoning people
The New York Times: Recycling Lead for U.S. Car Batteries Is Poisoning People
