About this episode

The episode revisits Oliver's story of growing up in Kabwe, Zambia, a town devastated by lead mining and facing new challenges with a mining boom for clean energy minerals.

To continue our month of episodes from the Radio Workshop archives, we're revisiting a story from last year. Oliver grew up in Kabwe, Zambia. Nearly a century of lead mining has poisoned Kabwe's land, air, and water, making it one of the world's most toxic towns. Now Oliver is watching a new mining boom sweep across his country, this time for minerals that power clean energy. He faces an impossible choice: fight the industry, or join it to change it from within? Now 19 and a student at Copper...

People in this episode

Guest: Oliver

Topics covered

• lead mining
• environmental issues
• clean energy
• toxic towns
• personal choice

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Kabwe, Zambia, Zambia

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• We’re on Sound School! · February 3, 2026 · 19 min
• Waste Not Want Not · January 19, 2026 · 13 min

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