Beyond Coal

The Truth Behind Coal

From the mine to the plant coal is one of our dirtiest sources of energy, causing asthma and other health problems, destroying our mountains and releasing toxic mercury into our air.

In addition to the hundreds of old coal plants currently operating across the country, plans are on the drawing board for dozens of new mountaintop removal coal mines and over 100 new coal plants.

Coal already produces about half of our nation's energy and almost 30% of our nation's carbon dioxide emissions, the lead cause of global warming. Coal plants are also major sources of soot, smog and mercury pollution, which can worsen asthma, increase the risk of heart attacks and even cause developmental disorders in children.

Continuing our dependence on coal chains us to the dirty energy and prevents us from making the changes we need to bring about a clean, secure energy future for our children and grandchildren.

It's time to repower, rebuild and refuel America; that means stopping construction of new coal plants, cleaning up and retiring the old coal plants that are the worst contributors to respiratory illnesses, and keeping our remaining coal in the ground so we don't worsen the problem.

We need to move beyond the polluting coal power of the past and start investing in clean energy technologies that will boost the economy, create jobs and help the climate recover.