![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/the-rush-for-nickel-they-are-destroying-our-future/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/130292874_6ae6ddc2-7d19-4e8b-8c7b-9fab0d1caa50.jpg&description=Image caption, Mining near Indonesia's Labengki Island is threatening the traditional way of life Two men are carrying torches and homemade arrows as they slip into the ocean at night on an Indonesian island. They are from an indigenous community of Bajau people - renowned freedivers who find it better to hunt in the dark when fish, lobsters and sea cucumbers are less active. But they fear time is running out for their traditional way of life. "Right now, the water is still clear," says Tawing, one of the fishermen. "But it won't stay that way… nickel waste enters our water during the rainy season and the current carries it here." Nickel is an integral part of global life, used in stainless steel, mobile phones and electric car batteries. As the world shifts to greener vehicles and needs more rechargeable batteries, the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that demand for nickel will grow by at least 65% by 2030. The IEA expects Indonesia, the world's largest nickel producer, to meet two thirds of the world's needs for the metal. The country has already signed deals worth billions of dollars with international players keen to invest in processing plants as well as mines. But conservationists warn that mining could have a devastating effect on the environment. Here on Labengki Island in Southeast Sulawesi, Tawing fears that if the government does not take action, waste from nickel mines will end up in the sea, damaging the island and surrounding marine life. According to data from the Indonesian government, about 50 nickel mining companies currently operate in North Konawe Regency, across the water from Labengki Island. Image caption, The journey to get there takes us about an hour by boat. As we approach, the green hills are replaced by brown, deforested patches. Excavators and barges can be seen digging and carrying the "new gold". The water beneath us is a reddish-brown colour. In the coastal village of Boenaga we meet Lukman, another Bajau fisherman, who sa){kind=link}
Two men are carrying torches and homemade arrows as they slip into the ocean at night on an Indonesian island.
They are from an indigenous community of Bajau people – renowned freedivers who find it better to hunt in the dark when fish, lobsters and sea cucumbers are less active.
But they fear time is running out for their traditional way of life.
“Right now, the water is still clear,” says Tawing, one of the fishermen. “But it won’t stay that way… nickel waste enters our water during the rainy season and the current carries it here.”
Nickel is an integral part of global life, used in stainless steel, mobile phones and electric car batteries. As the world shifts to greener vehicles and needs more rechargeable batteries, the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that demand for nickel will grow by at least 65% by 2030.