Cradle to Grave: The Environmental Impacts from Coal

The report describes the comprehensive environmental and health impacts of coal in the United States, noting that the electric power industry is the nation's largest toxic polluter. It highlights that coal, used for over half of U.S. electricity, releases diverse toxic pollutants during mining, cleaning, transportation, generation, and disposal, affecting nearly 900 million tons of coal burned annually. These pollutants are linked to cancer, reproductive impairment, developmental issues in children, and damage to the nervous and immune systems. Additionally, the document identifies carbon dioxide emissions from power plants as the primary greenhouse gas responsible for climate change and notes that impacts vary by region, ranging from mining concerns in coal-field regions to inhalation risks in urban areas.

• Coal is identified as the most polluting fuel used in the U.S. electric power industry, which is the country's largest source of toxic pollution, with nearly 900 million tons of coal burned annually.
• The lifecycle of coal—including mining, cleaning, transportation, generation, and disposal—releases trace elements and pollutants that cause severe human health issues, including cancer, respiratory irritation, and damage to the immune, nervous, and reproductive systems.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (2001). Cradle to Grave: The Environmental Impacts from Coal. https://www.catf.us/resource/cradle-to-grave-the-environmental-impacts-from-coal/

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Cradle to Grave: The Environmental Impacts from Coal. 2001. https://www.catf.us/resource/cradle-to-grave-the-environmental-impacts-from-coal/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Cradle to Grave: The Environmental Impacts from Coal |date=1 June 2001 |url=https://www.catf.us/resource/cradle-to-grave-the-environmental-impacts-from-coal/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforce2001cradle, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Cradle to Grave: The Environmental Impacts from Coal}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2001}, month = jun, url = {https://www.catf.us/resource/cradle-to-grave-the-environmental-impacts-from-coal/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }