Baotou rare-earth tailings lake
Inner Mongolia, China · 40.63°, 109.68° · Mining damage
The sludge left over from refining the world's rare-earth metals fills a toxic artificial lake about 10 km² in size.
Baotou processes ore from Bayan Obo, the source of a large share of the world's rare earths used in phones, magnets and wind turbines. Refining leaves acidic, mildly radioactive waste that is pumped into the Weikuang tailings dam. Nearby villages have reported crop failures and health problems, and the dam's seepage toward the Yellow River has been a long-running concern.
In the game
Baotou rare-earth tailings lake flares up as Land destroyed. The fix is a gesture: slash through the bulldozers to stop the clearing. Done right, it becomes Damage stopped 🌱. Finish all three steps of its chain in one round for a combo, or take your time in Explore mode: a place you fully restore stays green on your map for good.
🧭 Fly there and restore it▶ Play a 60-second round