The Human Cost of Going Green | Bloomberg Investigates

Summary

This video script delves into the environmental impact of aluminum production, highlighting the destruction of the Amazon rainforest for bauxite mining and the subsequent pollution from refineries. It raises awareness of the unintended consequences of 'green' choices, such as the Ford F-150's use of aluminum, and the health and environmental issues faced by local communities in Brazil. The script also discusses the legal battles against the Norwegian-owned Norsk Hydro, the push for sustainable supply chains, and the importance of consumer and corporate responsibility in addressing these environmental injustices.

Takeaways

• 🌳 The script discusses the environmental impact of the aluminum supply chain, starting from the Amazon rainforest to the production of vehicles like the Ford F-150.
• 🚜 Mining for bauxite, the primary source of aluminum, involves deforestation and significant waste production, affecting local communities and ecosystems in the Amazon.
• 🏭 The Alunorte Refinery in the Amazon, owned by Norsk Hydro, is implicated in causing environmental damage and health issues for nearby communities through waste disposal and alleged contamination.
• 📊 The demand for aluminum is increasing, especially with the shift towards electric vehicles, which require more aluminum for their construction compared to traditional vehicles.
• 🌐 There is a lack of transparency in the aluminum supply chain, making it difficult to trace the full journey from raw material to finished product.
• 📉 Norsk Hydro, a Norwegian company heavily criticized for its operations in the Amazon, is ironically owned by the Norwegian government, which is known for its strong environmental policies.
• 📚 The script highlights a lawsuit brought by local communities against Norsk Hydro for the environmental and health damages caused by the refinery's operations.
• 🏥 Health issues in the affected communities are severe, with residents showing high levels of heavy metals in their bodies, linked to the pollution from the refinery.
• 🛑 Legal battles for the communities have been challenging, with cases often stuck in the judicial system for years without resolution.
• 🌐 The lawsuit was eventually taken to the Netherlands, where the court ruled it had jurisdiction due to Norsk Hydro's operations there.
• 🔄 The script emphasizes the need for greater consumer awareness and corporate responsibility in ensuring that 'green' choices do not come at the expense of other communities' well-being.

Q & A

What is the connection between environmentally friendly choices and the destruction in the Amazon mentioned in the script?

The script discusses how the push for more environmentally friendly choices, such as using aluminum in vehicles for its lighter weight, indirectly contributes to the destruction of the Amazon rainforest due to the mining of bauxite, which is the primary source of aluminum.

What is the process of extracting bauxite from the Amazon rainforest as described in the script?

The process involves tearing down large swaths of natural rainforest to access the mines, scraping out long strips of soil to reach the bauxite, and then shipping the ore to a refinery along the Amazon River where it is further processed, resulting in massive amounts of waste.

What is the significance of the Alunorte Refinery in the Amazon rainforest?

The Alunorte Refinery is a massive industrial complex located within the Amazon rainforest that processes bauxite into alumina, a key component in aluminum production. It is significant due to its size, its location, and the environmental impact it has on the surrounding communities.

What are the allegations against the Alunorte Refinery regarding its impact on local communities?

There are allegations that the Alunorte Refinery has been slowly poisoning local communities over the past decade. In 2018, it is alleged that waste depositories overflowed during heavy rains, flooding communities with toxic sludge.

What health issues have the local communities around the Alunorte Refinery been facing?

The local communities have been facing considerable health problems, including high levels of heavy metals in their blood and hair, which are linked to the pollution from the refinery. They suffer from various illnesses and cannot drink the local water due to pollution.

What is the significance of the lawsuit involving the Alunorte Refinery and the local communities?

The lawsuit is significant as it represents the efforts of the local communities to seek justice and compensation for the health and environmental damage they have suffered due to the operations of the Alunorte Refinery.

Who is Norsk Hydro and what is their connection to the Alunorte Refinery?

Norsk Hydro is a company that owns the Alunorte Refinery in Barcarena. The Norwegian government is the largest shareholder of Norsk Hydro, which adds an ironic twist given Norway's strict environmental standards and its criticism of Brazil's environmental track record.

What is the difficulty in linking the pollution in local communities to the Alunorte Refinery as mentioned in the script?

The difficulty lies in establishing a clear cause-and-effect relationship between the refinery's operations and the pollution. Activists and researchers have shown pollution in the communities, but they have not been able to definitively link the toxic metals in the water to those in the refinery's waste deposits.

What is the role of the Ford F-150 in the aluminum supply chain discussed in the script?

The Ford F-150, as a best-selling vehicle in the United States, is transitioning from steel to aluminum to make the vehicle lighter and more fuel-efficient. This shift is part of the push towards electric vehicles, which use more aluminum than traditional vehicles, contributing to the demand for aluminum and thus impacting the supply chain.

What is the significance of the lawsuit being brought in the Netherlands as mentioned in the script?

The significance is that the lawsuit is being taken to an international court due to the lack of progress in Brazilian courts. The Dutch court has jurisdiction because Norsk Hydro also operates in the Netherlands, and this move is an attempt to bypass the judicial limbo in Brazil.

What is the script's message regarding the concept of sustainable supply chains?

The script suggests that while companies are eager to claim their supply chains as sustainable, this claim often does not reflect the true environmental impact, especially in developing nations where legal standards may not equate to sustainable or green practices.