Trump's Coal Revival Will Make It Harder to Breathe

President Donald Trump’s effort to prop up the coal industry will not, over the long run, succeed -- the energy market will make sure of that. But it could impede America’s progress toward stabilizing the climate, and it will certainly harm public health.

Burning coal, after all, releases a lot more bad stuff into the air than just carbon dioxide. There’s also mercury, which makes its way into rivers and streams, where it’s eaten by fish and, in turn, by people -- poisoning brains and nervous systems, especially those of developing fetuses.