Advancing recognition justice in telecoupled critical mineral supply chains: the promise of social media

Abstract

Electric vehicles and other low-carbon technologies are increasingly scrutinized for the injustices they impose on critical-mineral mining communities. Injustices arise because local communities that are disproportionately affected by mining are materially and cognitively distant to those who hold influence over supply chain practices, policies, and institutions. The outcome is that these communities lack recognition by producers and consumers who benefit from critical mineral extractions. We focus on the promise of social media as a means to assist distant local communities gain recognition as important stakeholders and as a vehicle for informing mineral-consuming public. Using a case study of the impacts of lithium extraction in Chile, we analyze social media (Twitter) to establish evidence of the telecoupled information flows for communicating the nature of impacts of lithium extraction and the potential for advancing recognition justice. Our findings offer initial evidence of the potential role of social media as a mechanism to: (1) improve the flow of information and knowledge from mineral mining sites into social networks, (2) give voice to local stakeholders who otherwise are not heard, (3) enhance recognition justice for these distal communities.