[Animals]Boom in mining for renewable energy minerals threatens Africa’s great apes

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Up to a third of Africa’s great apes are threatened by a boom in mining projects for minerals required for the renewable energy transition, new research shows.

An estimated 180,000 gorillas, bonobos and chimpanzees are at risk due to an increase in demand for critical minerals such as copper, lithium, nickel and cobalt, a study has found. Many of those minerals are required for clean energy technologies such as wind turbines and electric cars. Researchers say the boom in demand is driving destruction of tropical rainforests which are critical habitats for Africa’s great apes.

“Africa is experiencing an unprecedented mining boom threatening wildlife po[CENSORED]tions and whole ecosystems,” researchers wrote in the paper, published in Science Advances. Africa is home to an estimated 30% of the world’s mineral resources, and substantial production increases in renewable energy are expected to drive up demand. 

Mining harms apes through habitat loss, pollution and disease. It can also make habitats more accessible to hunters and farmers, as roads are carved into forest. More than two-thirds of primate species are already threatened with extinction.

“A shift away from fossil fuels is good for the climate but must be done in a way that does not jeopardise biodiversity,” said lead researcher Dr Jessica Junker from the non-profit conservation organisation Re:wild. “In its current iteration it may even be going against the very environmental goals we’re aiming for … It is crucial for everyone to adopt a mindset of reduced consumption.”

 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/03/boom-in-mining-for-renewable-energy-minerals-threatens-africas-great-apes-aoe?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other