Briefing | The black hole of coal
A renewable-energy revolution is neither imminent nor pain-free
|HAZARIBAGH, JHARKHAND STATE|14 min read
DARKNESS is falling as coal starts its long, lawless journey from the pit. The first signs are the cycle-pushing foot-soldiers, such as Ravi Kumar, a 26-year-old whose yellow shirt and grey turban are as coal-smudged as his face and hands. Using his bike like a wheelbarrow, he strains uphill with his back bent, then coasts down with one sandalled foot on the pedal, the other scuffing the tarmac as a brake. The bike is laden with half-a-dozen sacks of coal, pilfered from a nearby mine.
This article appeared in the Briefing section of the print edition under the headline “The black hole of coal”
From the August 4th 2018 edition
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