Coal-generated power is one of the largest sources of global warming gasses in the United States. But it’s not just emissions from coal-fired plants that pose a problem; coal creates cradle-to-grave environmental impacts—from mountaintop removal mining to toxic ash waste.
In Appalachia, whole communities and ecosystems are destroyed when coal is extracted by blowing up mountaintops and burying the streams below in rubble. Put through power plants, the coal then transforms into CO2, the most common contributor of global warming gasses, and many other pollutants such as mercury and arsenic.
Earthjustice is re-shaping this model through state and federal legal action. In 2007, we stopped five coal mines and have blunted the national expansion of coal-fired power generation. And there’s more to come in 2008!
If you liked my post, feel free to subscribe to my rss feeds
BlogoSquare