Gathering coal in Qinghai
In this photo from 1998, workers collect coal at a mine in the Qilian Mountains in Qinghai Province. China is the world’s largest coal producer and consumer. However, since 2013, its coal consumption has declined as the government has pushed cleaner fuels such as natural gas. The shift is not easy: Last winter, there were natural gas shortages, and restrictions on coal had to be loosened.
