Coal is mined at Grande Cache, Alberta to fuel electricity generating plants.

Coal is mined at Grande Cache, Alberta to fuel electricity generating plants.
Photo Credit: David Dodge/Pembina Institute

Phase out coal faster, save lives, urges think-tank

The energy think-tank, Pembina Institute is urging the province of Alberta to speed up its promised phase-out of coal-fired electricity plants. The government vows to shut down the 18 plants by 2030. But the institute says doing so faster could save 600 premature deaths, 500 emergency room visits and 80,000 asthma episodes.

Save billions in health costs, says think-tank

A report suggests that an accelerated coal phase-out could avoid negative health outcomes worth $3 billion. “This would really lead to a much more prosperous province and really shows leadership to the rest of the world in terms of what we can do about our greenhouse gas emissions here in Canada,” says Andrew Read, senior policy analyst at Pembina Institute.

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The province of Ontario has already closed down it coal-fired electricity plants. Read hopes Alberta’s decision will prompt other provinces to do the same.
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Categories: Environment & Animal Life, Politics, Society
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