Green Daily

Despite our efforts to cut back on greenhouse emissions, it looks like our nation's coal habit is going to override all the responsible environmental choices that we made in 2007. Because its cheap and plentiful, many US power plants have been using coal instead of natural gas this year. Compared with 2006, our CO2 emissions are 3.3% higher than last year. Just in time for Christmas, I'm resisting every urge to make a joke about how we deserve a lump of coal.

Coal is truly the filthy mcnasty of all fossil fuels -- from the destructive mining process all the way to the emissions it creates from the power plants, there is really no runner up. Coal is already responsible for 40% of US emissions, so it obviously needs to go. So what do we switch to -- renewable? nuclear?

According to the EIA's 2008 report, the official outlook on renewable energy is a bit of a let down. Maybe Geldof does have a point when he calls renewable energy a "Mickey Mouse" solution. While we rave about the potential miracles of renewable energy, our coal power plants continue to spew out tons of CO2.