[Raptor235]

Since the industrial revolution, the word “coal” has become synonymous with air pollution. London in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was characterized by a dense, noxious fog— named by Sir Henry Antoine des Voeux in 1905 as “smog,” or smoke and fog. In December 1952, the smog in London got so bad that over 4000 people died in one week due to respiratory illnesses.

Today, coal— supplies of which they say could last, in Canada, another 143 years, and 250 years in the U.S.— is being re-examined as a source of energy. Oil and natural gas supplies are dwindling as concerns about the environment and demand for energy simultaneously grow. No one source of renewable energy— whether wind, solar, or geothermal power— is a reliable enough solution to be implemented on its own on a large scale. Most power plants are, in fact, still powered by coal, and countries like China and India are building new coal-powered electricity plants in order to keep up with the energy demands of rapid industrialization.

You can find the entire article here http://www.aboutmyplanet.com/alterna...y/cleaner-coal