THE DARK SIDE OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES

By Christopher Chen

If you’re driving in the Bay Area, take a look around, and you are guaranteed to spot either a Tesla, Nissan Leaf, Rivian, or Chevy Bolt. In less than two decades, electric vehicles (EVs) have transformed from a mere gimmick to a disruptive competitor in the automobile market. No carbon emissions, high mileage, cheap refueling, lower maintenance costs — what’s not to like? Yet, hidden behind the seeming perfection of EVs is an often untold story of detrimental environmental pollution and child labor practices.

Batteries, perhaps the most important component of EVs, are produced using various minerals including lithium and cobalt. Despite the aggregation of EV production in developed nations, the raw metals for battery manufacturing are often supplied by industrializing countries. According to the National Minerals Information Center, more than 75% of the global lithium supply was produced by the South American countries of Chile and Argentina. In these nations, mining and collecting lithium is a labor and water intensive process — each ton of lithium produced requires around 2.2 million liters of water. In these already arid countries, lithium production is squeezing away the last drops of water from lakes and rivers. This lack of water has inevitable, negative effects on local biodiversity, agriculture, and quality of life.

Child labor practices are yet another dire issue in the production of electrical vehicles. The Democratic Republic of Con - go supplies over 70% of the world’s cobalt, largely produced by artisanal and smallscale mines (U.S. Department of Labor). Often, these mining operations employ entire families, including children as young as six years old. The working conditions in many of these cobalt mines are incredibly dangerous — collapsing mineshafts, toxic cobalt dust, and contaminated water. Miners are paid next to nothing while risking their lives to extract the metal. Adults are forced to make a decision between sending their kids to school or bringing them into the mines to make enough money to feed themselves. Even more tragically, children are often trafficked and exploited in cobalt mines for profit by local “militia groups.”

With the EV sector’s current rate of growth, the U.S. market itself is projected to require three times the world’s current lithium output in 2050. To meet such demands, there is no doubt that human rights will continue to be egregiously violated while natural environments gradually crumble. However, there are ways to avoid such a disturbing future. From more efficient, longer-lasting batteries to improved mineral mining techniques, advancements in technology can help mitigate the dangers faced by local communities. Furthermore, creating more bike lanes, making cities more walkable, and promoting the use of public transportation are all potent solutions to reducing environmental damage and human rights violations.

Though EVs have undeniable potential in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change, we must take a moment to carefully consider the costs before we blindly embrace this new, promising technology.

The Dark Side Of Online Shopping

The Dark Side Of Online Shopping

By Sarah Wu

Online shopping sites, especially large companies like Shein, have taken the world by storm. Shein’s low-cost, mass-produced goods, which offer fashionable attire for an affordable price, have recently become popular. Yet given the growing concerns over unfair labor practices, should we really be buying from these businesses?

The term “fast fashion” was first coined in the 1990s, with the emergence of brands like Zara and H&M. It was founded on the idea of mass producing clothing to lower the cost and increase accessibility of fashion. Then came the era of online-only retailers, which further sped up production. Shein has expanded the world’s idea of online fast fashion and has taken the concept to the next level. With a corporate culture resembling that of many other Chinese businesses, this online fast fashion retailer offers a large variety of trendy, affordable clothing and cosmetics that are especially appealing to younger consumers. During the pandemic, the company gained overwhelming popularity, launching thousands of new products each day, and surpassing Amazon as the top downloaded shopping app. It focuses on shipping globally because many western countries have not yet adopted its economic

STAFF: STAFF:

Editors-in-Chief: Christopher Chen, Julee Jiang and Olivia Ma

Editors: Vera Lin, Alicia Peng, Anjali Prabhu, and Alan Xiao

Staff Writers: Aarna Kamath, Ada Costiniano, Alan Xiao, Alicia Peng, Amanda Wu, Amber Wong , Anjali Prabhu, Ariana Yi, Esha Bansiya, Heeya Das, Jay Thanki, Joleen Pan, Kaitlyn Liu, Katherine He, Kevin Weng, Krish Mangrolia, Oriana Deng, Ryan Li, Ryan Liu, Sachit Parekh, Sarah Wu, Sheil Mody, Shirley Fan, Thanisha Thambidurai, Vera Lin, Vincent Yang

Graphic Designers: Christopher Chen, Ada Costiniano model. Additionally, they collect enormous amounts of data to feed into their data analytics system, providing them with an edge over competitors.

Despite its success, Shein has faced growing criticism from the public for multiple reasons. Reports of poor working conditions and low wages for the company’s workers have raised questions. Their lack of transparency has led to many being unwilling to purchase from the brand. Shein has also been under scrutiny for its environmental impact, being criticized for promoting excessive waste and pollution. Lastly, they have been accused of stealing designs from numerous lesser-known artists, with many designers publicly accusing Shein of doing so. Shein’s ability to use analytics on current trends without consideration for its ethics has led to growing amounts of knock off products being pushed into the market. This poses a problem as it allows large companies to capitalize on the designs of local designers with repercussions. Shein has also allegedly paid certain designers a settlement over accusations of copyright infringement.

With the rise of Shein, numerous businesses have emerged that are attempting to adopt a similar business strategy.These companies have amassed a sizable following, but it is critical to consider some of the issues that fast fashion may pose and make informed decisions as a consumer.

Thank you for reading the eighth issue of the second volume of The Yellow Pages! We hope you enjoyed reading the issue as much as we enjoyed the process of creating it!