The world hears every day of China’s staggering growth, its rampant urbanization, and its accruing economic and political power, but it is rare to see the unguarded faces and hear the unfiltered voices of the Chinese themselves even as the coverage of their country grows in volume and hysteria.

This video acts as an antidote to views of the Chinese, and their energy consumption, as simplistically monolithic in their all-consuming drive to development. It follows in short form a Chinese couple that has relocated to the bright lights of Shanghai from the countryside, like so many of their compatriots. The pair live and farm near the massive Waigaoqiao coal-fired power plant, and their discussion of the plant underlines the difficult and complex choices emerging economies are making as they struggle to meet their population’s needs without straining their environments beyond repair. Keep reading →