Indonesia is a world-leader for exporting an important rare Earth mineral – but it has come at a deadly cost.
The country is perhaps best known for its stunning islands and natural landscapes, including beaches, volcanoes and tropical forests – I mean, who doesn’t know someone who’s been to Bali, right!?
Well, aside from a terrifying ‘spider wall’ and an ‘impressive’ road, Indonesia is the world’s largest nickel producer, boasting the largest reverses on Earth.
And back in 2023, its total export value of nickel hit approximately $6.8 billion, according to figures from Statista.
Labengki Island in Southeast Sulawesi (Afriandi/Getty Images)
What is nickel used for?
Nickel is a vital component of lithium-ion batteries, used in electric vehicles like Teslas. And as demand for electric cars has grown, so too has demand for nickel.
Nickel alloys can help enhance the properties of the battery components by increasing their energy density, making them ideal for rechargable batteries.
Why is nickel mining a problem?
Well, most of Indonesia’s nickel reveres are based in its Sulawesi and Halmahera islands, including Kabaena in Southeast Sulawesi.
Permission to mine roughly three-quarters of the island has been granted, according to Climate Changes News, but only a handful of companies are currently in operation.
And already, scientists have discovered evidence of devastating impacts mining has had on the environment.
Indonesia is the world’s leading nickel producer (Nanang Sugianto/Getty Images)
What’s the environmental risk from nickel mining?
Satya Bumi, a local NGO, published a January report which showed Kabaena’s once-perfect waters are now polluted, ‘reducing fish stocks, causing children skin infections, and threatening the livelihoods of local people,’ as per Climate Changes News.
Nickel mining is now also the leading cause of deforestation within these so-called nickel mining provinces, with two-thirds of its 920,000 hectare nickel mining hotspots located under forest cover.
Elsewhere, mining is destroying the biodiverse marine life of Raja Ampat Regency – a group of tropical islands near West Papua.
Some 75 percent of the world’s coral species call the islands home, sharing the ocean with some 1,600 species of fish, including some sea creatures which are critically endangered.
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Halmahera Sea from Raja Ampat in Papua New Guinea (Streluk/Getty Images)
According to a report from environmental and conservation organization Auriga Nusantara, sediment from the mines is carried from the islands coasts and carried away by the ocean’s current, which Victor Nikijuluw, a program advisor for Indonesia-based environmental organization Konservasi Indonesia, told Associated Press can ‘smothers coral reefs, displaces the animals that can leave the area, and generally endangers the nature that local biodiversity and communities depend on’.
Timer Manurung, the director of Auriga Nusantara, explained (via The Independent): “As long as the nickel mining continues to operate, the sediment will destroy coral and its surrounding ocean ecosystem.
“It’s really a threat for Raja Ampat, as the archipelago is known for ocean biodiversity and richness that makes it an international tourism destination.”
What are the Indonesia government planning to do?
In November, Reuter reports that Indonesian officials at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry would be checking miner are following environmental rules, as well as ‘re-examining’ production quotas on those on the breach.
Senior official, Tri Winarno, told press: “The RKAB that has been issued will be reviewed, whether they (miners) are complying with the rules.”
He further said ensuring ‘longevity and sustainability’ of Indonesia’s nickel ore is a top government policy – though he didn’t further clarify on how the proposal would impact production.
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I think it’ll be the normal corrupt Indonesian government doing nothing to hinder the miners. RIP Sulawesi.
Featured Image Credit: Photography By Mangiwau/Getty Images
Ellie Kemp
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Man buys house for absolute bargain but it comes with a terrifying warning
The price of a house in Cape Cod was reduced a whopping 67 percent in two years but it came with a pretty big catch
A Massachusetts house came on the market for under $400,000 but there was one major catch.
After spotting a beachfront house in Eastham, Cape Cod on the market for just $395,000 David Moot couldn’t believe his luck.
The property had originally been placed on the market in 2022 at the price of a whopping $1.195 million, however it was reduced by 67 percent in just two years. But why?
Well, when the house is described as beachfront, it really means beachfront, with the Eastham abode sitting just 25 feet (7.6 meters) away from the shoreline, Bloomberg reports.
What could possibly be wrong with such an up close and personal view of the sea? I hear you cry.
The fact that the sea may get too up close and personal, so much so, the property may cease to exist anymore. And it could happen quite soon.
David Moot’s house will likely be washed away within 10 years (Kayla Bartkowski/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Earlier this year a landslide occurred in Dana Point, California, seeing three mansions left teetering at the cliff’s edge and the same fate could be headed for Moot’s recent purchase too – reportedly within the next 10 years.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns on its website: “U.S. coastal counties face permanent inundation and flooding threats from sea level rise, intense rains, high tide flooding, and severe storms.
“[…] More than $1 trillion worth of property is located within 700 feet of the coast. These properties’ proximity to water bodies may put them at risk of extreme weather events, hurricanes, sea level rise, and high tide flooding. These threats can damage or destroy property or make real estate uninhabitable.”
Professor and director of the laboratory for coastal research at Florida International University, Stephen Leatherman, told The Guardian around ’80 to 90 percent of the beaches’ along the east coast are ‘eroding’ with ‘limited areas’ actually ‘stable’.
He added: “The average [rate of erosion] has been a little over 2ft a year but that’s just an overall average. And Cape Cod […] is more like […] about 3ft or more a year, so any rate, it does catch up with you.”
Indeed, Moot confirmed to NBC Boston his front yard had lost about five feet of land due to erosion in just around 10 months.
The view may end up getting too up close and personal (Kayla Bartkowski/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Despite the actual property’s reduced price, Moot will have to pay around $4,000 a year in taxes and reportedly the same in insurance – and the insurance wouldn’t cover if the house got damaged as a result of erosion.
However, Moot doesn’t seem too fazed about the impending future of his new home and hopes to rent out the property to afford the charges, wanting as many people to ‘enjoy it as much as [he] can’.
He resolved to the Boston Globe: “Life’s too short, and I just said to myself, ‘Let’s just see what happens’. It’s going to eventually fall into the ocean, and it may or may not be in my lifetime.”
Well, that’s one way to look at it, eh?
Featured Image Credit: NBC Boston
Poppy Bilderbeck
New PS5 Pro comes with a sneaky new feature but it may leave gamers disappointed
PlayStation users have been left divided over the ‘exclusive’ feature of the $699.99 PS5 Pro Console
PlayStation fans are flocking to social media over the PS5 Pro console’s new ‘exclusive’ feature, though some are not convinced it’s ‘worth the upgrade’.
Sony added a highly-requested feature to its PS5 which fans had been asking for since it launched in an update earlier this year.
And now the gaming giant has revealed an ‘exclusive’ feature which only owners of the PS5 Pro Console – released yesterday (November 7) – can access.
The PS5 Pro console
PlayStation revealed its latest console in an announcement on its website, the product retailing at an eye-watering $699.99.
But what comes with the hefty price tag? Well, it explains: “With the PlayStation®5 Pro console, the world’s greatest game creators can enhance their games with incredible features like advanced ray tracing, super sharp image clarity for your 4K TV, and high frame rate gameplay.
“That means you get to play PS5 games with the most impressive visuals ever possible on a PlayStation console.”
And included in these ‘impressive visuals’ is a feature which is ‘exclusive’ solely to the PS5 Pro.
You’re going to have to look a bit further inside to the PS5 Pro to spot the new feature (PlayStation)
The ‘exclusive’ feature
Well, it’s good news for those of you who constantly obsess over what wallpaper to put on your phone background because the PS5 Pro’s ‘exclusive’ new feature is a background wallpaper.
The wallpaper is for the ‘Welcome’ tab and features an animation of the PS5 chipset with the PS5 Pro logo on it.
One Twitter user wrote: “PS5 Pro has an exclusive Background wallpaper for your ‘Welcome’ tab & looks awesome.”
And it’s not taken long for gamers to flood to social media to weigh in with their thoughts.
💠PS5 Pro has an exclusive Background wallpaper for your ‘Welcome’ tab & looks awesome🍨
Some are delighted by the new feature being a background wallpaper change.
One user commented: “My God, that’s sexy!”
A second wrote: “Will definitely be using this! (Assuming there aren’t any 30th Anniversary ones).”
Another commented: “Ngl the background looks dope.”
However, others aren’t quite as enthused by the exclusive feature.
One user said: “Not worth the upgrade. It should have been on the base PS5 personally.”
Someone else added: “Wow!! 800€ for a wallpaper!!”
Another thought: “Oh damn, makes price easier to swallow, a whole a** background.”
And a final user resolved: “And that’s the one and only real upgrade.”
Well, whether you’re a fan of the new feature or not, ultimately it doesn’t make much difference to your actual gaming experience so whatever your thoughts on it are, just game on.
UNILAD has contacted PlayStation for comment.
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Featured Image Credit: Sony/Gonzalo Arroyo – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
Topics: Gaming, PlayStation, Social Media, Technology
Poppy Bilderbeck
Shaq’s ‘first of its kind’ Cyberbeast truck comes with a shocking price tag
Shaquille O’Neal splashed out an eye-watering amount on a custom-adapted Tesla ‘Cybertruck Beast’
Former pro NBA star Shaquille O’Neal has revealed what his custom Tesla ‘Cybertruck Beast’ looks like.
As if Tesla Cybertrucks weren’t expensive enough already, why not add a couple more tens of thousands of dollars to the price tag and get it custom-adapted to suit your every need and desire?
Shaq’s Cybertruck
Effortless Motors took to Instagram last year to reveal Shaq had just got the ‘first wide body Cyberbeast’, and a whole ’12 months early’ at that.
The video shows Shaq reacting to the Cybertruck, which not only features a wide body but is reportedly the ‘first ever carbon body Cybertruck‘ too.
“Wide body carbon fibre, custom made.”
The vehicle also features 26-inch wheels, alongside a custom LED underbody glow, and it’s wrapped in gloss black with black mirrors and extra lights in the front bumper too, Autoevolution reports.
And if you thought standard Tesla Cybertrucks were expensive – coming in at between $74,000 and $94,000 in the US depending on the model -, imagine a custom-adapted one?
How much does Shaq’s Cybertruck cost?
Shaq’s ‘Cybertruck Beast’ (Instagram/ @effortless_motors)
Supercar Blondie reports the vehicle cost around $101,985.
Shaq commented: “I got the cleanest Cybertruck in the country.”
And it’s not taken long for social media users to weigh in on the car.
“Shaq got the hardest cyber truck now onb”, one said, while another commented: “Shaq makes everything look better. I love that gloss black.”
However, others were less impressed.
“I’m not impressed. Ill be impressed if you went and opened up some housing for the homeless”, one person wrote.
“Elon don’t mess with us, and here we are making him richer”, another commented, referring to the controversial Tesla CEO.
The brand also gave a shout-out to LeBron James too, writing in the caption: “Big news! @shaq just got the first wide body Cyberbeast from @effortless_motors , and it’s all thanks to LeBron!”
Why? Well, in a since-deleted post last year, Effortless Motors allegedly claimed to have sent James a Bugatti.
However, James later turned around and denied any sort of deal having been made for a car.
In a post to Instagram he said: “Stop the [cap]!! LIARS!! I don’t know y’all and I don’t even have that car. CLOUT CHASERS.”
Effortless Motors owner Daniel Ubario later admitted to TMZ it had all been a marketing ploy and added he’d since reached out to James to apologize.
However, while the ploy may’ve not worked with James, it led Effortless Motors to end up on Shaq’s radar.
Shaq revealed he now had ‘two’ Cybertrucks, and he doesn’t plan on stopping there with his custom-vehicle collection either. The star has since bought a S550 and Escalade IQ from the dealership too.
So, despite losing $2.1 million per year after splashing out on a $27 million luxury purchase he said he’d never buy, clearly O’Neal isn’t doing too badly for spare cash.
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Featured Image Credit: Instagram/effortless_motors
Poppy Bilderbeck
Car badge from 1997 is selling for $40,000 and there’s a good reason for it
A seller on eBay is hoping to fetch an eye-watering amount for a badge which has been deemed a collectable item in the car industry
I kind of get why a car badge would be worth that much money if it was designed in 1997 – I mean, all great things came out of that year, didn’t they?
Biggie Smalls released ‘Hypnotize’, James Cameron’s epic Titanic film was rolled out, and a star who would eventually become a legendary journalist and future-world record holder was born… ladies and gentlemen, me – Joe Yates.
Although, tragically, five days after ‘Hypnotize’ came out, The Notorious B.I.G was murdered as a perceived result of gang-warfare in retaliation to Tupac’s death the year before, and I was also born on the same day as the anniversary of the Titanic sinking.
So, in hindsight, I may be a disaster, but we’re not here to talk about me. Instead, we’ll discuss the 1997 Nissan Skyline Nismo 400R, and its badge, which alone is fetching $40,000 on eBay.
For that kind of money, you could buy a brand new 2025 plate Audi A3… now, I’m no motorhead, but guys, it’s a German car, and over there, they know what they’re doing – that’s one thing I know for sure.
So, if you’re spending that sort of money, you’ve got to have two things in order to splash that much on part of a car.
One lucky seller is hoping to fetch $40,040 on eBay for a badge from the 1997 Nissan Skyline R33 Nismo 400R (eBay)
Let’s get into it… why on earth is a badge flogging for so much?
Well, because it’s kind of a collectibles item – I mean, Pokémon cards go for millions, so I’d argue this is more sensible.
It is from a Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) icon, a rare one at that, and the 1997 Nissan Skyline R33 Nismo 400R is incredibly unique.
It’s like the Illustrator Pikachu, which came out a year later in 1998 – the world’s rarest Pokémon card that Logan Paul officially bought back in 2022 for $5.275 million.
Yes, the Nissan badge from said car is listed for a whopping $40,040, to be precise.
A 1998 Nissan Skyline driving at a high speed back in the year 2000 (National Motor Museum/Heritage Images/Getty Images)
Despite the huge price tag, it does have a few scratches on it, but that’s to be expected, really, as it’s almost 30 years old… oh God, that means I’m nearing the milestone.
On the listing, the seller explained how they took it from the trunk of their Nissan Skyline R33 Nismo 400R way back when.
So, can you see yourself ever buying something like this, or would you rather fork out on a Pokémon card?
I’ll confess that I don’t know what my obsession with Pokémon is in this article.
