Coal is Dirty and Dangerous

Alternatives can revive the U.S. economy

There's no reason for the environmental and health problems associated with coal to continue -- not when cleaner, more economically productive alternatives exist.

New coal plants will come at the expense of clean, renewable fuel sources such as wind, solar and biomass -- fuel sources that will produce new green jobs and help revive the American economy.

"Clean coal is a fantasy fuel. It does not exist." – Van Jones, Special Adviser at the White House Council on Environmental Quality

Wind power is the fastest-growing form of electricity generation in the United States, accounting for 42 percent of all new generation in 2008. Solar energy employs more than 20,000 Americans in high-tech, high-paying jobs. And millions of Americans are now powering their homes with clean electricity that doesn't produce any global warming pollution.

A recent economic analysis shows that investing $100 billion in clean energy would create two million new jobs nationwide over two years -- four times as many as the same investment in traditional fuels.

In fact, investing in energy efficiency makes far more economic sense than building new power plants. Making just 5 percent of American homes twice as energy efficient per year would eliminate the need for almost 300 power plants by 2030 and save American consumers billions in energy costs.

So if dirty coal gets buried, the alternatives will grow to replace it, and the U.S. economy will grow with them. It's time to make better choices and repower America with the clean energy of the future.