coal

Hopi Look To Tourism, Ranching For Income After Coal Power Plant Closure

10:18am January 14, 2020

by Laurel Morales

The coal power plant that provided about 80% of the Hopi Nation's budget closed last month. Tribal leaders are now trying to figure out how to replace the revenue, which was their economic lifeline.

A child plays near communist-era apartment blocks in Hoyerswerda, Germany. After the collapse of the communist East German government that had redeveloped the area into an industrial hub, factories shut down and coal production declined. The population ha

World News

In German Coal Country, This Former Socialist Model City Has Shrunk In Half

10:45am November 07, 2019

by Rob Schmitz

Thirty years after the Berlin Wall fell, Hoyerswerda is struggling to thrive, a far-right party has gained popularity and many residents worry about the future when Germany phases out coal.

Environment

As Duke Energy Updates Belews Plant, Concerns Over Coal Ash Remain

7:15am September 10, 2019

by Keri Brown

It's been five months since state regulators ordered Duke Energy to excavate coal ash at six remaining sites across North Carolina. Duke is taking steps to modernize the plant, but for those who live nearby, the action isn't enough.

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Trucks churn up coal dust at the Tavan Tolgoi coal mine in the South Gobi desert. The Tavan Tolgoi deposit is estimated to possess 6.5 billion tons of coal, including high-grade coking coal — a product vital to the steel-making process.

Mongolia's Long Road To Mining Wealth

11:49am July 31, 2019

by Emily Kwong

Mongolia is undergoing a dramatic transformation from a pastoral society to one whose economy is based on mining, especially copper and coal. With the change has come opportunity — and loss.

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Rapid population growth in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, coupled with a household dependence on coal for heating and cooking has created perfect conditions for one of the most extreme cases of air pollution in the world.

Mongolia's Capital Banned Coal To Fix Its Pollution Problem. Will It Work?

3:10pm July 30, 2019

by Emily Kwong

Winter nights in Ulaanbaatar can drop to minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Many residents without electricity burn coal to heat their homes, leading to toxic air and health problems.

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A Chinese-backed power plant under construction in 2018 in the desert in the Tharparkar district of Pakistan's southern Sindh province.

Why Is China Placing A Global Bet On Coal?

7:01pm April 29, 2019

China has taken dramatic steps to fight climate change, including shutting major coal power plants. But now it plans to build hundreds of coal plants abroad.

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After decades of dependency on coal for jobs, the Navajo Nation is turning to renewables. Two utility-scale solar farms have been built in recent years and another one is in the works.

National

On The Navajo Reservation, Turning From Coal To Renewables

5:47pm April 07, 2019

by Laurel Morales

The Navajo tribe voted late last month not to purchase the Navajo Generating station, the largest coal-fired power plant in the west. Now renewable energy has become a top priority for the tribe.

Former coal miner Danny Smith and his family used to ride their ATVs and go camping on this reclaimed strip mining site in Pike County, Ky. But Smith is no longer able to do such things because of his advanced black lung disease.

An Epidemic Is Killing Thousands Of Coal Miners. Regulators Could Have Stopped It

9:44pm December 18, 2018

More than 2,000 miners in Appalachia are dying from an advanced stage of black lung. NPR and Frontline have found the government had multiple warnings and opportunities to protect them, but didn't.

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Smog hits Beijing on December 1. A new report presents evidence of cleaner air, but environmental observers are worried about levels of pollution this winter.

Health & Safety

The Good News (And Not So Good News) About China's Smoggy Air

11:37am December 18, 2018

by Katrina Yu

According to a new report, China's war against air pollution shows promising results. But there is evidence of backsliding as winter nears.

The Trump administration wants to ease an Obama-era rule that required coal plants to use expensive technology to control carbon emissions.

Trump's EPA Plans To Ease Carbon Emissions Rule For New Coal Plants

4:54pm December 06, 2018

by Jeff Brady

The Trump administration wants to reverse a rule that would have required new coal plants to have expensive technology to capture their carbon dioxide emissions.