You may not be fond of coal if it's in your Christmas stocking, but some see it as a useful and beneficial source of energy. Recently more energy companies have opted to build coal-burning plants, and experts are debating whether this is a viable solution to our energy needs. They say America runs on coal, but are we running in the right direction?
“Today there are more florists in America than there are coal miners.” Instead of reaping benefits—jobs and social services—from the coal boom, coal states like West Virginia consistently rank poorest in the union with the lowest median household income in the nation and the lowest literacy rates.
How are coal communities fairing? Families and communities near mining sites are suffering from airborne dust and debris, floods, contamination of drinking water supplies, and the exodus of a generation of young people who are forced to find jobs elsewhere.
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