The Dirty Secrets Of Coal (PHOTOS)

Coal is a dirty and dangerous business. It produces more than half of the energy in the U.S. because it is a cheap resource, but it comes at a high human and environmental cost. The coal industry is the single largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions -- and that's just the beginning. We're taking a look at some of the dirtiest secrets the coal industry doesn't want you to know.

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America: Powered By Coal

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Coal is still deeply embedded in our energy culture because the supply is plentiful and cheap. It supplies more than half the electricity consumed by Americans. That means every time you switch on a light or charge your phone, it's likely thanks to the coal industry. And according to a New York Times report report, big coal isn't showing any signs of letting up-- Peabody Energy, the largest private coal company, is thriving domestically and abroad.

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Coal is still deeply embedded in our energy culture because the supply is plentiful and cheap. It supplies more than half the electricity consumed by Americans. That means every time you switch on a light or charge your phone, it's likely thanks to the coal industry. And according to a New York Times report report, big coal isn't showing any signs of letting up-- Peabody Energy, the largest private coal company, is thriving domestically and abroad.

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Comments

[dwedge]

12:12 PM on 05/26/2010

Those who continually repeat the mantra of cheap coal fail to factor in the loss of life among miners, the loss of life among those who live in the vicinity of those mines. The pollution costs are immeasurable. It is time for this country to get serious about alternative energy.

[SolarPowerGuy]

12:25 PM on 04/27/2010

"In 2007, the Environmental Protection Agency found that living near coal ash waste sites increases ones risk of developing cancer to as high as... 1 in 50... Despite this... coal ash has been classified as a 'non-hazardous waste' by the EPA since 1988."

Is it a coincidence that that decision was issued by the same administration which declared ketchup to be a vegetable? I think not.

[the-lexicon]

10:13 PM on 04/26/2010

Can I ask Huffingtonpost a favor? Can you folks send the author, Gazelle Emami, to COLLEGE for remedial English language courses?

Some of her prose is so tortured, it violates the Geneva Convention.

[justafarmer]

11:46 PM on 05/05/2010

wow...unlike Massey Energy's value of profits over basic human dignity

[David Novack]

01:24 PM on 04/26/2010

Burning the Future: Coal in America
Check it out.

www.burningthefuture.org

[buddypal]

11:26 AM on 04/26/2010

The Town south of Pittsburgh where my Mother was born burnt down because it was sitting on top of a COAL MINE,how nice,around 1920,& lost her BIRTH CERTIFICATE because it was in the town hall.......coal is great because coal only thinks about itself......not the people or the environment.....COAL IS GREAT.......remember that.......coal is great.........

[wdw505]

10:01 PM on 04/26/2010

and cheap

[lazercat2008]

11:04 AM on 04/26/2010

8. Coal kills thousands of babies a year.

Turn off those lights.

[fred edison]

08:40 PM on 04/30/2010

Did you see that guy and his family on Oprah? He left the lights on for Tom Bodett at all hours of the day and night, and he left the plasma TV on 24/7 on to keep his dogs company. Some people have no concept (more like willful ignorance) of what it means to do simple things like turning off lights that aren't needed, which does seem insignificant, but when multiplied millions of times becomes a significant energy saver that reduces pollution, toxins, etc. Plus, it saves them money with electrical costs, which probably means more to many people than helping to save the environment.

[Bartel5]

10:09 AM on 04/26/2010

(laughing, pointing at liberals who promote 'clean electricity', but say NO to coal, NO to wind, NO to nuclear, NO to large scale solar. ) ( more laughing)

[lazercat2008]

11:05 AM on 04/26/2010

Enjoy your mercury poisoning and acid rain.

[fabco]

09:55 AM on 04/26/2010

http://environment.change.org/blog/view/thorium_nuclear_energys_clean_little_secret

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2009/12/ff_new_nukes/

[America free]

09:30 AM on 04/26/2010

The need to do what I do for energy and that is
Burn your old tires, adds a lot of black smoke in the sky but it works

[clevelandchick]

08:09 AM on 04/26/2010

The "clean coal" technology that employs scrubbers to wash the impure minerals is actually the dirtiest method of all; it produces double the amount of toxic coal ash that conventional processing does.

This is an excellent article about toxic ash in Rolling Stone that every one, including the POTUS should read:

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/;kw=[3351,94939];jsessionid=465B03872F009E8F44198245A66FC4C5

[Oxerjump]

07:09 AM on 04/26/2010

There is no clean coal; nuclear energy is not clean and green or safe; uranium mining is even more dangerous to our bodies and environment than the mining of coal, which is still pretty horrific. If these government and corporate creeps than push this dangerous stuff on us were all held accountable, the U.S. would become the leader in truly clean, green, and renewable energy overnight. Start throwing these guys in jail and/or hitting them with fines that really hurt their bottom line - they'd be investing in solar, wind, and hydro energy so fast it would make all our collective heads spin like wind turbines.

[KIVPossum]

04:17 PM on 04/26/2010

Today's the 24th anniversary of Chernobyl - radiation is seeping out at an increasing rate.

[Woodn88s]

06:56 AM on 04/26/2010

greed and profit drives every single aspect of our society. I wish I had the answer.

[diasehmai]

04:22 AM on 04/26/2010

I realize this is a very important topic, but I hope we can all agree that it pales in comparison with "Celebrity Detoxes & Diets: Whose is Craziest?" It's important to keep our priorities in order.

[sb250guy]

05:11 AM on 04/26/2010

Oh, no doubt!

[skantea]

03:42 AM on 04/26/2010

Cold Fusion is real!
If we aren't discussing it openly then it can only be do to corporate conspiracy.

Heavy Watergate: The War Against Cold Fusion:
http://documentaryheaven.com/heavy-watergate-the-war-against-cold-fusion/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_fusion

[skantea]

06:12 AM on 04/26/2010

"due to."

[jsgaetano]

02:59 AM on 04/26/2010

Using coal for power should be considered a crime against humanity.