Whetheher coal, minerals, or metals, for millennia, we humans have insisted on dredging our planets resources. The Global Mining industry earns around 615 billion euros each year, nearly the equivalent of the gdp of switzerland, the worlds twentieth largest economy. Yet few jobs are as dangerous as mining. Around 12,000 miners worldwide lose their lives every year, and those are just the official figures. What would that number be if illegal mines were taken into account . Mine workers often breathe in toxic particles or poisononous gases. Many suffer damage to their lungs. In the eastern part of the u. S. State of kentucky, coal mining has long been a mainstay. And here, too, it has a terrible impact on peoples health. Reporter its about ten meters from the car to the house. But for danny, the short distance is torture. Even a few steps leave him short of breath. For almost 20 years, he worked in the coal mines of kentucky, breaking up rock underground, and breathing in coal dust. A thin dustmask barely protected him. At some point, his lungs will fail completely. His daughter mollie knows that that will bebe the end of hih. Danny i just notice all the time its just getting harder and harder t to breathe, you kn. Reporterer danny says he felte had no choice. If he hadnt agreed to work under those conditions, he would have been out t of job. Right now his lungs are functioning at less than 50 . Danny its anywhere from 43 to 47 . Mollie if i had to even go and get the phone if he didnt have it, you know, id just go. It was only a a few steps awa, but you know, itit still affecd him. Reporter danny has been diagnosed with black lung disease. At 45, hes no longer able to work. With his income gone, his family is close to financial ruin. Its a fate shared by thousands of people in the area. In eastern kentucky, coal mining has long been a mainstay of the economy. In the past especially, it was difficult to find any other work. One former miner, jimmy moore, tells us most of the Coal Companies cut corners when it comes to installing ventilation. He says they ignore regulations governing the levels of coal dust in mines. He, too, has black lung. Jimmy when we came out, we got coal dust all over us, in our nose, in our ears, its everywhere. And then wed cough, wed cough up a lot of it, and our nose catches the big stuff and we can blow it out, but the small stuff goes into our lungs. Redeana and ive heard my husband telling, i wouldnt work under those conditions. He said, that, i could tell them, its not safe. Im not going to work there. Theyd say, well go on home. Theres somebody else there that wants that job. Reporter around a third of all miners in kentucky will eventually be diagnosed with back lung. In the past, no one knew the exact numbers, until brandon crum started collecting the data. In his clinic alone, the radiologist has registered several thousand cases since 2014. He says its an epidemic, to which authorities have turned a blind eye to for years. Brandon so this is actually a normal xray here, and you can see that heres the ribs, and the dark area in between is the lung. Stage three is the worst example. Profusion, yes. This is where the lung has been replaced by significant fibrotic tissueue, with the inflammatin associatated with the black lug disease. Unfortunately were seeing a lot of this disease in very young individuals, i mean their 30s, 40s, but there seems to be some trends which including longer work hours. Were seeing more cases of progressssive massive fibrosis,r complicated disease, t than we ever have in the united states. Reporter dr. Crum sounded the alarm. And kentucky reacted, but not as expected. A new state law says radiolologists mayay no longnger diagagnose black lung diseasa. Now only pulmonologists are allowed to assess diagnostic xrarays. And there are only a handful of lung specialists in the whole state. Crum is furious. Brandon i think it was political. I think i was probably finding too much black lung disesease n their state workers comp claims, and they wanted me to stop reading them. Reporter the new law is likely to reduce the number of patients who receive a diagnosis. And it will make it harder for them to get compensation on insurance claims or the federal benefits they would be entitled to. Linda adamss husband died of black lung five years ago. The diagnosis was never in doubt. But their Insurance Company is refusing to pay their claim, playing for time before the courts. Linda and he said its not fair. He told me, he said no matter what you do, dont give up on blacack lung. But thats why he wanted that done, because he had all this other evidence, and with all thisis other evidence, theyre still denying the claim. And then the autopsy report comes back. They said, their doctor looked at it and this doctor was crazy. This girls dad up here, this guy that used to live there in this next trailerette, he had black lung. This girls brother and her father died. Her dad was 52 years old when he died, and her grandfather also died from black lung. Reporter miners families are fighting on multiple fronts, against an incurable disease, and intransigent insurance companies. And now many here feel the government has abandoned them, too. A federal fund that was set up over 40 years agago to provide benefits for miners suffering from black lung disease has seen its budget slashed. Thats because the fund is financed through a tax paid by the Coal Companies. Last year, President Donald Trump halved that tax. In 2016, voters in this region came out to vote for trump in droves because he promised to create new jobs and to make the coal industry great again. Redeana the only way to bring it back was to give the Coal Companies a good enough reason so they could come in and make money at it. But theyre making money off of young people that are going to have black lung and theyre going to die. And its just not right. Reporter people feel betrayed by the coal mines, the insurance companies, the state, and federal government. And all the while, the epidemic continues. Hostst if youre sick, especiay if youre old, you need someone to care for you. In many affluent countries, care homes are increasingly f fling that role. But these needed to be staede. Gegermanalone e haa shortata of nearly 400,000 care works. S. Low w pay ts manany ung peopop off. Now t the problem has reaed china. And there, the longrunning onechild policy shares in the blame. Reporter wen juan is preparing her lunch. The 67yearold has lived alone in her beijing apartment since her husband died earlier this year. Her only child has also passed away. Juans daughter lost her life in a car accident 15 years ago. Wen i feel so helpless. The communist party used to say that each family was only allowed one child, and that the state would take care of us when we got old. And now that we are old, theyre just not keeping their promise. Reporter she doesnt want to think about what will happen in a few years, when she can no longer take care of herself. Many aging chinese face an uncertain future. More than 240 Million People aged over 60 live in the republic of china. Some projections say that by 2050, one in three chinese will be oldaged. The reason goes backck to chins onechild policy, which stood for over 30 years. This led to a disproportionately aging population. The law changed in 2016 to allow two children per couple. Chinese tradition requires children to take in their aging parents and care for them in their own homes. But thats becoming less feasible. Chun xuan mao is a privately run carehome in the city of tianjin. Its a first class facility with one carer for every patient. The top floor boasts an artificial garden. And residents can dance with the manager herself. But this all comes at a high price, as much as 3000 euros a month. For most chinese pensioners, this sum is astronomically high. There are hardly any old peoples care facilities in china, and the few that exist have trouble finding qualified personnel. Yang chinas geriatric care market is developing at a rapid pace but still has huge deficici. We need more professional caregivers quickly, but the training takes a long time. The gap is very large. Reporter even though the chinese could benefifit from usg retirement homes, they are reluctant t to do so. Many prefer the traditional system of homecare for the elderly. My parents wanted to put my grandparents in a home. But t then they decided againt it. They might have wonderful Living Conditions and good carers, but providing my grandparents with spiritual support at home is more imporortant. If im healthy, ill live at home. Later on well see whether or not my daughter is too busy. Well cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now im only 61. The homes dont do enough for the physical and spiritual wellbeing of the people who live there. I wouldnt live in an old peoples home. Reporter wang hoe chen has alzheimers but hasnt had to move into a care facility because she lives with her husband and receives care at home. Her family has enough money to afford a carer. Ai yongshu used to work in a carehome where she was paid per patient. But here, her wages are higher and she has more time to take care of wang hoe chen. Ai i like my work a lot and im very patient. If wang hoe chen doesnt want to eat anything, i just wait. Sooner or later shell eat again. Its my job to take good care of her, because all she can do is lie in bed. Reporter as the population ages, the number of people dependent on care increases. No one knows who will take care of patients with high needs in the future. Experts estimate that up to ten million extra carers will be needed to meet the demand in the coming years. Wang i dont think china is ready. The number of elderly people is rising rapidly. The care system cant be expandeded quickly enough to kp up. The e only thing we can dos learn from countries with good care systems, for example the u. S. And japan. Reporter thats what the government is trying to do. Theyre reforming nursing Care Insurance and opening up the market for caregiving to attract international investors. But longterm plans do not exist. The state Pension System is also struggling. Prprojections from the Chinese Academy of social sciences are bleak. In jusust 15 years, the ststate pension fund could dry up. Pensions are barely enough to survive on. Wen juan receives 500 euros aa month. Shes still paying off the bills from the cost of carining for r nowwdeceased husband. Other chinese seniors rely on receiving care from their only child. But wen juan has to take care of herself. Host mozambique in march of this year. Its almost imimpossible to tel where e the ocean ends and lad begins. Cyclclone aiai left entitire reo ununder ter. More than n 1000 people lolost r lives. The country is still sufufferig the effect. Our reporter, stefan mohlhl, trtravelled therere with his m five months after the e events r our gglobal ideas series. He visited the inland Gorongosa National park, a wetland region thatat is helping the coast recover from the storm. Reporter the town of buzi ls at the mouthth of the pungngwe river. When cyclone idai tore t throuh herere in march, floodwaters fm e e entire regioion flow into the river. The pungwe burst its banks, flooooding the sururrounding countryside. Houses werere washed awaway, includining th of fafarmer abr filipe. His entire harvest was wiped out, too. Abrao before the cyclone came, id been making good progress. But when it hit, it literally threw me bacack to square one. Im now starting from the bottom again, point zero. Reporter things would have been even worse if it werentt for e Gorongosa National park. This unique wetland landscape lies 140 kilometers upupriver. Like a spongnge, the vegetatin and the network of streams and rivers there absorbed huge amounts of water dumped by the cyclone. Marc stalmans, the chief ecologist at the park, checks e water r levels regularly. He says even today, five monons after the cyclone, the floodwaters are still draininig out of the landscape and into the pungwe river. Marc intact landscapes can play a tremendously positive buffering effect. They generally kind of attenuate the extremes of weather, the extremes of wind, and the extremes of water. And thats why we need those big landscapes. They also serve as a reservoir. Theyre all hosting biodiversity, they are hosting systems that are effective, that are functioning. Reporter but this natural paradise is under threat. On nearby mount gorongosa, residents have cleared huge swathes of forest for farmland. Forests have a key regulatory function, absorbing and releasing water. It was clear that if the deforestation continued, many of the springs thatustain t the wetlands would disappe. So, six years agago, the Park Administration came up with an idea. Instead of subsistence farming, residents could help restore the forest by planting coffee along with hardwooood trs to provide shade e for the cropto t thriv. Project manager sional moiane shows us a a plantation with 250,000 young coffee plants and hardwood saplings. Sional before, there were almost no trees left here at all. He whole p placeas totally exposesed the sun. Now ththrough the coffee and te trees we have two layers of shade. Reporter gororongoscoffee is already a a ccess story. More than 400 farmers are noww growowing the new op. Thats nearly halflf the famils in the r region. The park adminisistrion buys u the harvest at a guarantnteed price. Those who are looking for an additional income cacan help wh the processing of the e beans. The project is succeeding despite difficult conditions. Mozambiques civil war officially ended in 1992, but there have been flareups at times between Government Troops and rebel forces. Sional we had some problems in 2015 and had to stop work because of the conflict. But now everythings quiet and we can get on with our work. Were seeing that it is possible to produce coffee on mount gorongosa. The community has embraced the idea. Theyre producing coffee, replanting trees, taking care of the forest, and helping the environment. Reporter the coffee beans are taken to the town of gorongosa for roasting and packing. While were there, the local mayor drops in to visit the centre. Hes hopeful that the coffee will not only protect the environment, but also lp to promote reconciliation. Fighters loyal to the rebel group renamo were long holed up in the hills and forced some farmers to join their ranks. As a result, there are townspeople who are wary of the farmers. Sabite this project is a good thing. It c creates ties between the Coffee Growers on the mountain and the Processing Plant here in town. Were not affected by any conflict, because the coffee farmers havent been involved in the fighting. This project improves relations between people in town and people up in the hills. Reporter since the start of the project, farmers have planted more than 140 hectares of coffee and 50,000 hardwood trees. All the trees are native to mozambique. Ththe plan is to add anothther0 ctarares next yeyear. If deforestation can be halted or reversed, the wetlands of Gorongosa National park will be preserved. Forests protect the park, which in turn helps to protect People Living in coastal areas. As Climate Change continues, wellfunctioning ecosystems will become more important than ever. Abrao filipe has experienced many cyclones before. But hes noticed a change in recent years. Abrao it seems to be getting worse year by year. The cyclone and floods we had last year reached the porch of my house. The cyclone this year reached my windows. Things are getting worse. Reporter but abrao filipe has no plans to give up. Hes building a new house where his old one once stood. Hell replace the mud walls with stones, once he has the money. Maybe natuture will spare him nt time. If not, hes hoping the National Park will protect him from the worst. Host and now from southeast africa to central america. Guatemala has long been embroiled in a kind of civil war, between enemy drug gangs. The country has one highest murder rates in the world. Often, even the police appear helpless to do anything. But what about ordinary citizens . Many hope to leave, dreaming of a future in the u. S. Or europe. Others opt to stay, determined to lead a decent life, amidst the violence. Reporter jhonny alexander carias says if you work on the street, you have to be a good judge of people. Not all are nice, and you have to be able to deal with that. Jhonny is a star of freestyle soccer, and he earns a living doing it. Jhonny almost a dollar. Thats good. Reporter he sometimes makes 12 a day. Hes 21 and lives from hand to mouth, as do many people in guatemala. Half the population live in poverty. Work is hard to come by. Anand many jobs pay poorly. Jhonny earns more than the minimum wage, freestyling on the streets for donations. Hes often wondered if it might make sense to leave. Jhonny studying here is too expensive. I want to take europe by storm. I think theyd respect my skills there. Of course, everybody here dreams of going to the united states. But i dont t ow. Tthats very hard now. Reporter jhonny has an important reason to stay. His mother died in january, and since then he has looked after his two younger brothers. They live together in a small rented room. There are lots of drug dealers in the neighborhood. Jhonny they may not have a father or a mother, but they do have a brother, who can be an example to them, so they become good people. Reporter its not so easy to be a good person here. Poverty can lead to crime and violence. There are areas on the outskirts of Guatemala City where not even the police like to go. Gabriela altman, however, will not be deterred. Gabriela you wouldnt want to be here after 5 00 p. M. Its too dangerous. Thats when the gangs come out and get down to business. Reporter gabriela and her team of volunteers talk to people, invite them to take part in activities such as soccer. Shes courageous. People get killed around here all the time. About 10 homicides are committed in guatemala every day. We meet some k kids. Its only ternoooon, but theheye already high. And we encounter a gang member, who tells us what happens when people are out of their heads. You want money to get high. You dont cacare if its someby who works hard or if theyre poor. You just want to hold a knife to their throat and take their money. Reporter the gangs have lookouts monitoring their territory. Another gagangster boasts abot his extortion racket. If they dont want to pay, we shoot them. I say, you dont want to pay . Ok, fine. I turn and leave, and the others attack him. And thats that. Reporter the neighborhood is also full of trash. Gabrielas team are planning a cleanup campaign. It looks as if its only private initiatives want to help. The failure of state institutions is one reason so many guatemalans want to seek a better life abroad. Most head north towards the united states. After performing on the street all day, jhonny goes to school, evening classes hosted by a nonprofit foundation. Its a chance to learn something that might help him find a good job. On the way, he meets his two younger brothers. They also come here to earn a bit of money with freestyle soccer. They bear the scars to prove it. The road gets so hot it burns you. Reporter jhonny is among the best in freestyle soccer. His brothers look up to him and hope to follow in his footsteps. I love you, brother. Reporter jhonnys doing a threemonth course in project management. That includes brand development, pricing labor costs, strategy. He was accepted into the program on the basis not so much of his grades as on his character, because e is honestst and clev. Jhonny i didnt study hard d t school, and missed out on many opportunities. So now i have to catch up. Reporter the foundation has connections to companies where students might one day getet a job. That could help keep young people from seeking their fortunes elsewhere, like jhonny, who doesnt really want to leave. Host thats all from us this ti. Were back nt t week, d wed love to hear from you. Drop us a line, global3000 dw. Com, or check us out on facebook, dw women. See you soon. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org]
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