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The Truth Behind Coal
 Coal-fired power plants are one of our nation's largest—and dirtiest—sources of energy. Although these plants already produce about half of our electricity, there are plans on the drawing board to build over 150 new plants in the next few years. With new laws to fight global warming expected on the horizon, the coal industry is in a rush to build as many new plants as possible before pollution safeguards are in place. In an industry motivated by the bottom line, it's not surprising that 85% of this "new generation" of proposed plants would use the same old technology of your grandparent's era—the same technology that creates the global warming pollution.
In the midst of this rush to build, we owe it to ourselves and our children to slow down and consider the truth behind coal before we lock ourselves into a new generation of polluting plants that will be with us for the next 50 years. Coal-fired power plants are a leading cause of respiratory illness, and already account for over 40% of our nation's carbon dioxide emissions, the lead cause of global warming. We need to take time to expand our energy choices beyond the limited, unhealthy options of the past. The good news is there are readily available alternatives to coal that can to be used today to meet our energy needs and save us money, all while boosting the economy, creating jobs, improving public health, and combating global warming.
Have questions about coal? Find out more in our questions and answers.
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