The human cost of coal mining in China

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Xiaojun "Tom" Wang |

TED Countdown Summit

• July 2023

Xiaojun "Tom" Wang grew up in the Chinese province of Shanxi, the world's largest coal producer. Each year, more than a billion tons of coal are dug out of Shanxi's mountains, and the impacts are devastating — from massive landslides to damaged cultural sites and threats to human health. Wang illuminates the need for sustainable alternatives to protect the environment and ancestral homes, underscoring the rich heritage and untapped potential of provinces like his own.