It’s a tough job: outside everyday from February until December, breathing smoke and dust all year round. They live on site in wooden huts, without electricity. At 3 cents the kilo of charcoal, a worker has to produce one ton per month to earn about 300€.
Making wood into charcoal is an ancient technique: wood is artfully layered in 4 meter high hills, covered with straw and earth before setting a narrow fire inside the kiln. Soon extinguished, the embers continue to work under the earth at more than a 1000°c. It has to burn a week before opening.
People discovered the power of coal 6000 years ago. Its high temperatures make possible to extract copper to produce swords or coins: Human History is in that regard based on the ability to produce coal. Nowadays, the industry needs it to produce filters, but the biggest part lands in our grill.
