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How coal made us rich — and why it needs to go

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Earth School

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Coal powered a revolution in human prosperity that the world had never seen before. But it came at a price. Now Asia is the biggest consumer of coal — how can it quit its new addiction? This video unpacks the science and industry surrounding coal, and helps us understand the path forward without it.


Watch the video and finish the Think section to complete the lesson.

About Earth School

We can save the world. Speed and Scale shows us how to unlock a cleaner, healthier and safer future by laying out a roadmap that will get us to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. How’s it going to work? We need to electrify transportation, decarbonize the grid, fix food, protect nature, clean up industry and remove carbon. To learn how we’re going to do all that - and to learn how you can take action now - explore this page.

Meet The Creators

  • Video created by DW Planet A
  • Lesson Plan created by TED Ed

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