homepage - goals - beyond coal
Coal provides about half of our electricity and more than 30% of our global warming pollution. From the mine to the plant, coal is our dirtiest energy source. It causes asthma and other health problems, destroys our mountains, and releases toxic mercury into our communities. Continuing our dependence on coal chains us to dirty energy and prevents us from making the changes we need to bring about a clean, secure energy future.
Our Program
The Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign is working hard to:
- Stop the construction of dirty, new coal plants by educating investors and decision makers about the economic and environmental risks of investing in new coal.
- Retire old plants that are the worst contributors to health-harming soot and smog pollution and replace them with clean energy solutions.
- Work with communities to protect our mountains, lands and waters by keeping our vast coal reserves in the ground
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News
Coal plants are a leading cause of respiratory illness, they account for over 30% of our nation's carbon dioxide emissions, and, because of impending carbon pricing, are rapidly becoming more expensive. Yet there are still plans to build more than 100 coal-fired power plants across the U.S. Read more