WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.319 The category is feeling like Taylor, which is 00:00:03.319 --> 00:00:06.660 also feeling like bad news. Oh, well, that brings 00:00:06.660 --> 00:00:10.240 a lot of perspective into my life. It sure does. 00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:15.640 This one is from AP news dot com. Not familiar 00:00:15.640 --> 00:00:18.780 with AP news dot com, but this is by Richard. 00:00:19.019 --> 00:00:22.179 That's the Associated Press. Oh, OK. But yeah, 00:00:22.239 --> 00:00:25.320 they're really good. But I'm glad you don't have 00:00:25.320 --> 00:00:29.079 other feelings about my source by Richard Kiel 00:00:29.079 --> 00:00:33.380 Kiel. Is he any relation to John Keele? No, I 00:00:33.380 --> 00:00:36.000 think it's Keeley. Okay. Jacob Zimba because 00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:38.799 it's not Keele like Keele. I think it's Keeley. 00:00:38.979 --> 00:00:44.159 It was updated 9 36 p .m. March 14, 2025. Title, 00:00:44.399 --> 00:00:47.579 River died overnight in Zambia after an acidic 00:00:47.579 --> 00:00:50.799 waste spill at a Chinese owned mine. Oh, I heard 00:00:50.799 --> 00:00:54.240 about this. This one's real sad and people are 00:00:54.240 --> 00:00:57.710 going to die. Yep, and I feel like being that 00:00:57.710 --> 00:00:59.850 it's in Zambia might not get as much. It's gonna 00:00:59.850 --> 00:01:02.850 get missed, yeah. Zambia and a Chinese -owned 00:01:02.850 --> 00:01:05.349 mine, so it's not like we can actually report 00:01:05.349 --> 00:01:08.469 on it. Let's get into this Taylor Lake vertical. 00:01:08.709 --> 00:01:11.310 What about Zambia? Authorities environmentalists 00:01:11.310 --> 00:01:14.569 in Zambia fear the long -term impact of an acid 00:01:14.569 --> 00:01:17.310 spill at a Chinese -owned mine that contaminated 00:01:17.310 --> 00:01:19.930 a major river and could potentially affect millions 00:01:19.930 --> 00:01:22.790 of people after signs of pollution were detected 00:01:22.790 --> 00:01:27.629 at least 100 km. Bill happened on February 18th 00:01:27.629 --> 00:01:30.170 when a tailings dam that holds acidic waste from 00:01:30.170 --> 00:01:32.670 a copper mine in the north of the country collapsed, 00:01:32.989 --> 00:01:34.930 according to investigators from the Engineering 00:01:34.930 --> 00:01:37.590 Institution of Zambia. Collapse allowed some 00:01:37.590 --> 00:01:41.209 50 million liters of waste containing concentrated 00:01:41.209 --> 00:01:44.409 acid, dissolved solids and heavy metals to flow 00:01:44.409 --> 00:01:47.390 into the stream that links to the Kifui River, 00:01:47.530 --> 00:01:50.609 Zambia's most important waterway, the Engineering 00:01:50.609 --> 00:01:56.189 Institution said. really of catastrophic consequences, 00:01:56.569 --> 00:01:59.290 end quote, said Chilekwa Mamba, environmental 00:01:59.290 --> 00:02:03.099 activist who works in Zambia's copper pelt. Minite 00:02:03.099 --> 00:02:05.959 is the dominant player in copper mining in Zambia, 00:02:06.299 --> 00:02:08.460 a southern African nation which is among the 00:02:08.460 --> 00:02:11.639 world's top 10 producers of copper, a key component 00:02:11.639 --> 00:02:14.280 in smartphones and other technology. It is a 00:02:14.280 --> 00:02:16.280 wonder how much of your smartphone comes from 00:02:16.280 --> 00:02:19.659 Africa, slave mines basically. You know a great 00:02:19.659 --> 00:02:22.919 deal has been coming to my attention lately of 00:02:22.919 --> 00:02:26.219 all the rare earth minerals. Oh yes the rare 00:02:26.219 --> 00:02:29.919 earths yeah from the Congo or Zambia yeah. We 00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:32.770 even talked about it in episode that comes out 00:02:32.770 --> 00:02:35.629 fairly close to this one. The whole fight over 00:02:35.629 --> 00:02:39.110 the Congo was for Rare Earths. Especially in 00:02:39.110 --> 00:02:42.930 governments that have problems. Well, they've 00:02:42.930 --> 00:02:45.050 never been able to fully establish a government 00:02:45.050 --> 00:02:47.490 because people who have been more well -off than 00:02:47.490 --> 00:02:50.389 them for a long time want to take advantage of 00:02:50.389 --> 00:02:52.949 them. Yeah, huge problem. I don't know maybe 00:02:52.949 --> 00:02:56.069 if it's more the focus of certain people in the 00:02:56.069 --> 00:02:58.409 world trying to exploit other countries very 00:02:58.409 --> 00:03:01.409 publicly right now. Rare earth minerals and stuff 00:03:01.409 --> 00:03:03.830 like that that other countries have that they 00:03:03.830 --> 00:03:06.689 don't. I've been paying more particular attention 00:03:06.689 --> 00:03:10.129 to it. But yeah, this is another one that I didn't 00:03:10.129 --> 00:03:12.210 know. We did a fringy mini on rare earths with 00:03:12.210 --> 00:03:15.310 Mexico probably about two years ago now when 00:03:15.310 --> 00:03:18.889 Obrador, OMLO, he nationalized all their lithium, 00:03:18.969 --> 00:03:22.389 which was a huge deal right yeah that was a while 00:03:22.389 --> 00:03:25.349 ago now yeah but not everybody's taking the exact 00:03:25.349 --> 00:03:27.770 same path of letting everybody just exploit them 00:03:27.770 --> 00:03:31.539 like that like mexico did do that well And maybe 00:03:31.539 --> 00:03:34.039 they're in a better position to not. Mexico is 00:03:34.039 --> 00:03:36.719 a very interesting place because it's not quite 00:03:36.719 --> 00:03:38.960 considered like first world, but it basically 00:03:38.960 --> 00:03:41.860 is. I would consider it, yeah. Especially like 00:03:41.860 --> 00:03:44.439 if you're just talking Mexico City. Very advanced, 00:03:44.520 --> 00:03:46.960 very metropolitan. One of the best cities in 00:03:46.960 --> 00:03:53.800 North America, honestly. Zambian president Hekinde 00:03:53.800 --> 00:03:56.620 Pachelema called for help from experts and said 00:03:56.620 --> 00:03:58.819 the league is a crisis that threatens people 00:03:58.819 --> 00:04:01.560 and wildlife alone. along the Kufui, which runs 00:04:01.560 --> 00:04:04.479 for more than 1 ,500 kilometers through the heart 00:04:04.479 --> 00:04:06.680 of Zambia. Authorities are still investigating 00:04:06.680 --> 00:04:09.560 the extent of the environmental damage. An Associated 00:04:09.560 --> 00:04:12.259 Press reporter visited parts of the Kufui River, 00:04:12.360 --> 00:04:14.719 where dead fish could be seen washing up on the 00:04:14.719 --> 00:04:17.500 banks about 100 kilometers downstream from the 00:04:17.500 --> 00:04:21.060 mine run by Sino Metals Leech, Zambia, which 00:04:21.060 --> 00:04:24.319 is majority owned by the state -run China Non 00:04:24.319 --> 00:04:27.160 -Ferrous Metals Industry Group. Ministry of Water 00:04:27.160 --> 00:04:29.420 Development and Sanitation said the dead fish 00:04:29.100 --> 00:04:31.920 Devastating consequences also include the destruction 00:04:31.920 --> 00:04:34.480 of crops along the riverbanks. Authorities are 00:04:34.480 --> 00:04:36.800 concerned that groundwater will be contaminated 00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:39.300 as the mining waste seeps into the earth or is 00:04:39.300 --> 00:04:41.699 carried to other areas. Prior to the 18th of 00:04:41.699 --> 00:04:44.160 February, this was a vibrant and alive river. 00:04:44.300 --> 00:04:47.540 In a country like that, probably rely on it for 00:04:47.540 --> 00:04:50.160 crops, for drinking, for everything. Yeah, no, 00:04:50.279 --> 00:04:52.920 most people live along that river. Like it's 00:04:52.920 --> 00:04:55.800 incredibly important for their society. Most 00:04:55.800 --> 00:04:59.500 civilizations do live along rivers. Oh, this 00:04:59.500 --> 00:05:02.930 was a quote from Sean Cornelius who lives near 00:05:02.930 --> 00:05:05.449 the Kafui and said fish died and bird life near 00:05:05.449 --> 00:05:08.149 him disappeared almost immediately now everything 00:05:08.149 --> 00:05:11.069 is dead it's like a total dead river unbelievable 00:05:11.069 --> 00:05:14.029 overnight this river died about 60 percent of 00:05:14.029 --> 00:05:16.589 zambia's 20 million people live in the kafui 00:05:16.589 --> 00:05:19.529 river basin and depend on it in some way as a 00:05:19.529 --> 00:05:21.930 source of fishing irrigation for agriculture 00:05:21.930 --> 00:05:24.730 and water for industry river supplies drinking 00:05:24.730 --> 00:05:27.149 water to about five million people including 00:05:27.149 --> 00:05:37.850 the capital lusaka the acid leak at the Wow. 00:05:41.110 --> 00:06:01.889 Oh, yeah. in Sino -Metals Leach Zambia would 00:06:01.889 --> 00:06:04.509 bear the cost of the cleanup operation. Ang Pee 00:06:04.509 --> 00:06:07.209 Win, the chairman of Sino -Metals Leach Zambia, 00:06:07.310 --> 00:06:09.970 met with government ministers this week and apologized 00:06:09.970 --> 00:06:12.329 for the acid spill according to a transcript 00:06:12.329 --> 00:06:14.629 of his speech at the meeting released by his 00:06:14.629 --> 00:06:17.149 company. Quote, this disaster has rung a big 00:06:17.149 --> 00:06:20.009 alarm for Sino -Metals Leach and the mining industry, 00:06:20.029 --> 00:06:22.670 he said. He said it will go all out to restore 00:06:22.670 --> 00:06:25.209 the affected environment as quickly as possible. 00:06:25.610 --> 00:06:28.290 The environmental impact of China's large mining 00:06:37.460 --> 00:06:41.180 I will say criticize because it's China and not 00:06:41.180 --> 00:06:43.680 the West. That's how often do you hear about 00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:47.259 criticizing of European or North American mining 00:06:47.259 --> 00:06:50.100 companies. No, that's actually very true. They 00:06:50.100 --> 00:06:52.660 are very bad. There's a reason Canadians have 00:06:52.660 --> 00:06:55.500 an incredibly bad reputation in Mongolia and 00:06:55.500 --> 00:06:57.420 it's because we have mines there. We're just 00:06:57.420 --> 00:06:59.139 talking about that, weren't we? It's come up 00:06:59.139 --> 00:07:01.379 before. I feel like I wouldn't otherwise know 00:07:01.379 --> 00:07:04.899 that. Chinese -owned copper mines have been accused 00:07:04.899 --> 00:07:08.079 of ignoring safety, labor, and other regulations 00:07:08.079 --> 00:07:10.819 in Zambia as they strive to control its supply 00:07:10.819 --> 00:07:13.439 of the critical mineral, leading to some discontent 00:07:13.439 --> 00:07:15.759 with their presence. Zambia is also burdened 00:07:15.759 --> 00:07:18.459 with more than $4 billion in debt to China and 00:07:18.459 --> 00:07:20.819 had to restructure some of its loans from China 00:07:20.819 --> 00:07:23.360 and other nations after defaulting on repayments 00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:26.160 in 2020. Wow. I wonder if that's why they're 00:07:26.160 --> 00:07:28.509 there. doing this. No, the four billion would 00:07:28.509 --> 00:07:31.589 have been in developing the mine. A smaller acid 00:07:31.589 --> 00:07:34.110 waste leak from another Chinese -owned mine in 00:07:34.110 --> 00:07:37.009 Zambia's Copper Belt was discovered days after 00:07:37.009 --> 00:07:39.629 the Sino -Metals accident. Authorities have accused 00:07:39.629 --> 00:07:42.410 the smaller mine of attempting to hide it. Local 00:07:42.410 --> 00:07:44.870 police said a mine worker died at the second 00:07:44.870 --> 00:07:47.689 mine after falling into acid and alleged that 00:07:47.689 --> 00:07:50.310 the mine continued to operate after being instructed 00:07:50.310 --> 00:07:53.149 to stop its operations by authorities. Two Chinese 00:07:53.149 --> 00:07:55.290 mine managers have been arrested, police said. 00:07:55.490 --> 00:07:58.129 Both mines have now halted their operations after 00:07:58.129 --> 00:08:00.930 orders from Zambia. Authorities while many Zambians 00:08:00.930 --> 00:08:04.649 are angry. Uh, yeah quote, it really just brings 00:08:04.649 --> 00:08:07.029 out the negligence that some investors actually 00:08:07.029 --> 00:08:09.149 have when it comes to environmental protection, 00:08:09.189 --> 00:08:12.350 end quote, said Nini Mwinga, an environmental 00:08:12.350 --> 00:08:15.069 engineer who attended the meeting involving saying 00:08:15.069 --> 00:08:17.870 government ministers and others, quote, it don't 00:08:17.870 --> 00:08:20.670 seem to have any concern at all, any regard at 00:08:20.670 --> 00:08:22.529 all. And I think it's really worrying because 00:08:22.529 --> 00:08:25.290 at the end of the day, we Zambian people, the 00:08:25.290 --> 00:08:27.610 only land we have, end quote, end of article. 00:08:27.829 --> 00:08:30.550 Pretty crazy. And especially when it's land, 00:08:30.750 --> 00:08:33.970 their people are not on. and inhabiting. I mean 00:08:33.970 --> 00:08:36.250 look at China though like it's the pollution. 00:08:36.690 --> 00:08:38.990 I think this is a prime example and when these 00:08:38.990 --> 00:08:42.289 things happen why extraction of resources should 00:08:42.289 --> 00:08:45.710 be a national project. It shouldn't be some sort 00:08:45.710 --> 00:08:48.250 of private investment that does it because at 00:08:48.250 --> 00:08:50.110 the end of the day they don't care about the 00:08:50.110 --> 00:08:52.370 land. They care about extracting the resource. 00:08:52.769 --> 00:08:55.399 Profit. And if anything happens to the land, 00:08:55.639 --> 00:08:57.919 the people who sit on the land have to pay for 00:08:57.919 --> 00:08:59.620 it. That's how it works at the end of the day, 00:08:59.759 --> 00:09:02.879 which is why it should be a nationally run project. 00:09:03.399 --> 00:09:05.879 Yeah, that's a very good point because then you're 00:09:05.879 --> 00:09:08.200 not looking at corporations doing it who don't 00:09:08.200 --> 00:09:10.620 care about the earth, who don't care. Oh, look, 00:09:10.879 --> 00:09:13.480 they went bankrupt so they can't pay for it. 00:09:13.629 --> 00:09:15.909 because they extracted all the profit they can 00:09:15.909 --> 00:09:17.769 and it's not profitable anymore so they're gone 00:09:17.769 --> 00:09:22.029 and in some instances leaving a river that's 00:09:22.029 --> 00:09:25.029 died and it's gonna affect the rest of the country 00:09:25.029 --> 00:09:27.970 for only thousands of years who knows how long 00:09:27.970 --> 00:09:31.110 this is ridiculous with no accountability because 00:09:31.110 --> 00:09:33.309 they're in a country whose laws don't apply to 00:09:33.309 --> 00:09:36.169 who's actually operating it and i just speculate 00:09:36.169 --> 00:09:40.250 based on the enron case that we covered on chevron 00:09:41.490 --> 00:09:45.330 Chevron. I even screwed it up in the whistleblower 00:09:45.330 --> 00:09:48.830 one. I called it Exxon. It's Chevron. They all 00:09:48.830 --> 00:09:51.389 have the same name basically, don't they? They 00:09:51.389 --> 00:09:54.389 really do. Wrong name or not, the point is still 00:09:54.389 --> 00:09:57.509 there. Giant corporations find ways to get around. 00:09:57.710 --> 00:10:01.110 Oh, they will always do the bare minimum required 00:10:01.110 --> 00:10:03.590 of them. Profits over people. Sorry, I almost 00:10:03.590 --> 00:10:05.429 said that the wrong way and that's really wrong. 00:10:05.669 --> 00:10:08.350 Well, and then they'll always find a way to privatize 00:10:08.350 --> 00:10:11.889 the profit and socialize loss, which means if 00:10:11.889 --> 00:10:13.470 there's going to be something that could hurt 00:10:13.470 --> 00:10:15.889 something long term, then society will pick that 00:10:15.889 --> 00:10:18.649 up. Whether it be cigarettes, oil, any of these 00:10:18.649 --> 00:10:21.649 mines, that's the plan of the private industry. 00:10:21.850 --> 00:10:24.289 Fuck those guys. Was that too political? Yeah, 00:10:24.529 --> 00:10:26.909 probably, but I think we already lost all the 00:10:26.909 --> 00:10:32.269 people who don't like us for our politics. But 00:10:32.269 --> 00:10:34.649 anyhow, you got 48 hours to not like us for our 00:10:34.649 --> 00:10:37.029 politics, so I hope I see you back here in 48 00:10:37.029 --> 00:10:39.190 hours. I've got a good episode for ya. Anyhow, 00:10:39.409 --> 00:10:41.210 bye. They'll be over it by then. Yeah, bye.