# The human cost of coal mining in China

- Institution: TED
- Department: TED Countdown Summit
- Speaker: Xiaojun "Tom" Wang
- Year: 2023
- Level: For everyone
- Language: English
- Subjects: Earth and environment, History
- Source: [TED](https://www.ted.com/talks/xiaojun_tom_wang_the_human_cost_of_coal_mining_in_china)
- Licence: [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) (Non-commercial use only, and no changed versions.)
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (sources give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the source's own words)

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.

## Lectures

1. [The human cost of coal mining in China](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/ted/xiaojun_tom_wang_the_human_cost_of_coal_mining_in_china/8daf355e7c7c), 15 min (TED's player)