Madagascar's forests are cleared for illegal mines

Desperate Madagascar miners spend months digging dangerous illegal shafts, hunting for gems to feed their families.
Five months of mining could yield only $500 worth of gems to feed families of 16 or more while forests are chopped down to make way for the treasure hunters.
Sky's Special Correspondent Alex Crawford visited the mining camps and families who depend on them.
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[@yournextlondonmayor7256]

Guess what they’re mining rare earth minerals for electric cars

[@DavidJohnson-dc8lu]

Exactly, minerals used to produce electric batteries are devasting the earth. Mass production of anything devastates the earth.

[@Ken-fh4jc]

Maybe watch the video next time. They were mining gold and gemstones.

[@jubejubesa8777]

I love how people are complaining about the environment. This is seeming like the only way these people can live, so very clearly it's more important than the forest.

[@sharingathought]

We're our own enemies, 5:51 paying a dollar for 5months work?

[@cabdikarimofficial4689]

What isthe illegal

[@anti-stupid-not--vax9629]

Illegal mines? Why because government get no tax?🤔🤔

[@johnkaplan1316]

At 5:13 poor guys drops one and no one noticed

[@benardo01]

They're strip mining

[@biulaimh3097]

When they are finished digging a shatf, they could build a little semi circle wall slightly downhill of it to have the shaft fill with rainwater. A little solar powered pump with drip irrigation would give them a crop during the dry season.

[@coffeeNTrees]

present an alternative for these people.

[@fairwind8676]

it's the law of the jungle and it's rigged

[@tm8396]

I hope that go pro belongs to sky news.

[@zoolhert3535]

Send sky news down

[@captain_context9991]

And as usual... Its all Europeans fault for bying rings and gems, right?

[@bradador1]

Ah well. Blah blah. Hope this helps

[@devilsadvocate9580]

Despite ongoing deforestation, fires, drought-induced die-offs, and insect outbreaks, the world’s tree cover actually increased by 2.24 million square kilometers - an area the size of Texas and Alaska combined - over the past 35 years

[@wasidanatsali6374]

Just in my lifetime, it’s unreal how much the trees in US eastern forests have recovered from logging and matured. The forests along the Appalachian Mtn chain have gotten so mature, they cut some openings just to provide green browse for wildlife. Despite all the climate change doom and gloom, farming has become so efficient that 65% more food per acre can be grown compared to 50 years ago. It’s estimated that by 2030 an area the size of India will have been released from the cow and plow.

[@gavinspiby8304]

It lacks any biodiversity though ! the wildlife is gone and not coming back

[@wasidanatsali6374]

@Gavin Sbiby The wildlife is returning, in droves. Both in Europe and the US. The black bear population on the East Coast is exploding. There’s so many gators now that just about any ditch in the South with water in it might contain a gator. There are breeding populations of gators in Tennessee now. Far north of the gator’s traditional range. Mountain lions are doing so well out West they’re migrating to the East. Mountain lions are being spotted in states east of the Mississippi River where they haven’t been seen in over 100 years. Rich western nations are actually experiencing an apex predator renaissance.

[@wasidanatsali6374]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/inqkoZWAftKWmLM

[@ranchjellybean7058]

no onder theyr starving

[@HikmatulloXursanov]

If wealthy countries so care about climate change , they should help these people to make a living.

[@BlackRose-vi2yg]

They cannot even help their own people make a living.

[@sonfordhabeenzu]

Ni