The True Cost of Coal

Traditionally considered the cheapest fuel around, the market price for coal ignores its most significant impacts. These so-called "external costs" manifests themselves as damages such as respiratory diseases, mining accidents, acid rain, smog pollution, reduced agricultural yields and climate change. The harm caused by mining and burning coal is not reflected in its price per ton or its costs for a kWh of electricity, but the world at large is nevertheless paying for it. This report seeks to answer the question: Just how much are we paying for the use of coal as an energy source?

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Date published:	November 27, 2008
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Number of pages:	92
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